Welcome to the November edition of the makeabigdifference newsletter, Young Heroes’ one stop shop for all the latest charity, fundraising and cancer news.
In this edition we speak to the Valentines, a wonderful family from Manchester who recently returned from a Young Heroes respite break. Sally and David share with us their thoughts about the charity, Casa Nissar, Bev and Rob Law and how the break helped them feel like a normal family again.
Also in this edition
Does eating barbequed food cause cancer? Does wearing sun screen mean you can’t get skin cancer? Can knocks and bruises really lead to cancer?
With so many cancer myths doing the rounds, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction so let us set the record straight with the second installment of Cancer Controversies.
We bring a little festive spirit to the newsletter in this month’s Fundraising idea of the Month where we give you handy hints and ideas for successful Christmas fundraising.
Donna Binyon, an Impact Living support worker tells us about the Rotary Conference in Torquay. Also you can read about the York school who are fundraising for Young Heroes and Bev and Rob’s ‘My Secret Kitchen’ party.
Until next month,
Kim Tetlaw
Editor
Bev and Rob’s Secret Kitchen
Young Heroes’ support staff Bev and Rob Law held a My Secret Kitchen party last month to raise funds for the charity. Through donations from friends and family who attended they managed to raise over ?60.00. Young Heroes would like to thank Bev and Rob and all those attended to make the event a success.
My Secret Kitchen is the UK’s first nationwide food and drink tasting company who run parties from homes. Want to know more about hosting a My Secret Kitchen party?
My Secret Kitchen
We introduce people to our diverse range of interesting new foods through friendly, informal tasting events run by our growing family of independent, like minded consultants.
A “My Secret Kitchen” tasting is a great foodie experience. It’s a great way of getting your friends together and doing something different and enjoyable at home. We can suggest different tasting formats, from buffets to fundraisers. As a host, when your guests spend over £100 at your tasting, you will earn £5 worth of our products for every £50 spent.
If we’re wetting your appetitie for trying our products, hosting a tasting or joining us as a consultant, please do get in touch with us
Phone 0845 094 5319 or email: office@mysecretkitchen.co.uk
Nippy dippers are back
With less than 30 days to go until Sunderland’s Boxing Day dip, Donna Binyon and her team of fundraisers have been busy gathering sponsorship for this annual event which will see them plunge into the North Sea in near freezing conditions.
Donna is hoping to raise at least ?500. Please show your support for a great cause and donate today through Just Giving.
http://www.justgiving.com/Donna-Binyon
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.
Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails.
Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
The Valentine’s break in the sun
“We were able to completely relax and be a normal family again”.
These are the words spoken by Sally Valentine to sum up their recent Young Heroes respite break.
The family from Urmston, Manchester enjoyed 7 days at the charities’ beautiful villa, Casa Nissar, located at the most southerly point of Lanzarote.
In September 2006 eldest son, Martin (22) was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large T Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) a relatively uncommon type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that arises from T-cells.
Here parents David and Sally open up about their son’s progress and how they found the break away in the Canarian sun.
Martin
Martin was in remission 6 months after first diagnosis, but relapsed after 13 months, then had two years of weekly chemotherapy which he finished in February this year.
At present he is doing well, he has just had a ct scan and we are waiting results.
Casa Nissar
The villa was beautiful! A real safe haven, spacious, comfortable and extremely private with the added bonus of the lovely pool.
Playa Blanca and Lanzarote
Playa Blanca in Lanzarote will always carry a special place in our hearts, because we had such a special time on the island.
The warm weather, friendly people, sitting on the beach front in the evenings eating our evening meal, the marina which is all of above and just a short stroll from the villa, truly magical.
Sightseeing
We visited Fuerteventura which is a short ferry ride away from Playa Blanca. We also visited Timanfaya up in the volcanoes, and we had camel rides which were fantastic. Especially when
Rob said life belts under your seat!!
You don’t realise just how high up you are on those camels, but Martin thoroughly enjoyed the camel ride, even if it was a little bumpy coming down.
Support
The support was amazing and that was because of a very special couple, Rob and Bev.
They were amazing. Bev gave lots of support organising and making sure we had a perfect holiday and Rob was at Lanzarote Airport from the moment we arrived. He was fantastic.
We had great reassurance knowing that he was just within reach if we should need him and I will always have very fond memories of such a loving caring man who went well beyond the call of duty.
Fondest memory
Relaxing in the evening in the warm Lanzarote sunshine with my family after taking in the sights.
Special thanks to the Valentine family for sharing their story with us.
School night of rock – GIG 10
A secondary school in York have chose to support Young Heroes for their forthcoming GIG 10, a fundraising rock and indie concert to be held on the 25th November.
Joe Dey, a pupil at the Easingwold School has been busy organising the event which will include entertainment by his own band along with several other rock / indie bands.
Young Heroes look forward to reporting its success in next month’s newsletter.
Torquay Rotary International Conference 2010
By Donna Binyon
You know the saying everything happens for a reason or being in the right place at the right time, this weekend seemed to be about just that.
The weekend started with a long but fun drive down to Torquay with me, Katie Brooman and Sharon Brown, we were fortunate enough to be able to use Katie’s car as earlier through the week Sharon’s car had broken down and was in the garage for repairs but would not know if it would be available to use until the last minute. As it was all last minute, Katie was kind enough to put Sharon on her insurance, this kicked off what we knew would be an eventful weekend, not knowing what to expect next.
The journey down itself was eventful with a serious car accident on the way that we had just missed as well as a bit of a tour around Torquay to try and find our B&B.
We arrived at the Sandpiper B&B mid-afternoon and quickly freshened up then went straight to the Riviera Conference Centre to set up our stall ready for members of the Rotary to see what Impact Young Heroes is all about.
Once we had placed our board up with leaflets spread across the table, we had some time to spare to get some supper before meeting the Rotary members so we decided on Pizza Express with Katie’s discount card and as I had never been before.
After our supper, we headed back to the B&B for our Impact Young Heroes T-shirts, then back to the Rotary conference ready to introduce ourselves to its members. While waiting, Frank our stall neighbour introduced himself with some funny jokes, which showed the start to a small friendship over the full weekend.
Between talks, members looked around the stalls talking to the various groups and we managed to attract a lot of attention, we handed out leaflets, explained to the members that Impact Young Heroes is a charity who support young adults with cancer, providing accommodation and respite breaks and explained the reasons to why funding is so important to us and how it could help develop our services to young adults and their families facing cancer.
The next day, after a nice full English breakfast, we set up the stall early and again managed to talk to a lot of members from the different districts, including those from the Inner Wheel. Many were particularly interested and impressed in the Lanzarote villas and how they are used for respite breaks as well as rentals in those times they are available, showing how we sustain funding in this way too.
Over the day we managed to raise £90 just through donations as well as gaining a lot of sign-ups for the monthly newsletter.
We met some very interesting people from the various stalls including Ana Beattie with friends from SARAID and Frank Drewett who specialises in Personalised Fine Bone China.
As Saturday afternoon approached, we then enjoyed Fish and Chips by the promenade and hot chocolate with cake for afters, where we then got our glad rags on ready to socialise, drink, dance and have a go of the roulette at the Casino Royale evening. Throughout the evening we enjoyed the company of the Chairman of the Inner Wheel and her husband a member of the Rotary International, as well as other members who were lovely enough to take care of us for the night, keeping our wine glasses topped up!
Overall, the weekend we hope has proven to be successful. As not only did we manage to spread a lot of awareness, we managed to talk to some ‘top’ people who could really help Impact Young Heroes. This just goes to show that sometimes not really knowing who you are talking to about what you do and why, can really raise the chances for support for Impact Young Heroes, just through people taking a sincere interest in the work we do.
Young Heroes would like to say a big thank you to David and Sue Butler for the invitation to The Rotary Conference. As a charity we are extremely honoured to have been selected by the Rotary to attend such a magnificent event.
Festive Fundraising Idea of the Month
Have fun during the Christmas and New Year season and raise money for Young Heroes at the same time.
We’ve put together some festive fundraising ideas to get you started, but if you have your own ideas, let us know!
If you’re planning a Christmas event to raise money for us contact us on 0870 0554313.
Christmas Party
Host your own festive Christmas party, complete with mulled wine, mince pies and mistletoe!
Deck your halls with boughs of holly and invite family and friends round to enjoy the festivities. Instead of exchanging gifts, ask for a small contribution to Young Heroes.
Nativity Play or Christmas Carol Concert
Visit your local school and offer to help organise a nativity play or Christmas carol concert in support of Young Heroes. It’s a great way to get all the kids involved and into the Christmas spirit and you could ask parents for a small donation on the door.
Greetings Cards and Gifts
Have fun making your own Christmas cards, handmade jewellery, wreaths, cakes and preserves, and selling them to your friends and family or your community. Tell everyone how your proceeds will help Young Heroes.
Christmas Raffle
Why not organise a Christmas raffle with your local club or church group? Ask local businesses to donate prizes and see how much you can raise for Young Heroes.
Carol Singing
Ask your local groups such as scouts and guides or your local school choir if they would carol sing for Young Heroes. They will need to contact their local shopping centre or council to get permission.
Unwanted Christmas present party
Hold a party where everyone brings along an unwanted Christmas present. You can then either hold an auction for people to bid on each gift (without knowing what each one is), or have everyone donate a set amount and have a lucky dip or raffle draw.
Cancer Controversies
Throughout the years there have been many cancer myths floating around.
The question is: Is there any truth to these cancer myths?
Keep reading and learn fact from fiction!
Cancer myth:
1) Taking the pill increases your risk of breast cancer.
Fiction.
There have been concerns in the past that the contraceptive Pill slightly increases the risk of breast cancer, but a new study from the U.S. suggests this may not be the case.
The study of 9,200 American women aged between 35 and 64 showed that oral contraceptives had no effect on their level of breast cancer risk – even if there was a family history of it.
2) You can get cancer from barbecued food
Fiction.
The blackened crust of barbecued food contains substances called heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), which are carcinogenic. But there has been no evidence produced which links barbecued food to cancer.
Perhaps this is because you would never eat enough charred food to cause the DNA damage that is central to cancer development.
Also, you can reduce the carcinogens by 99 per cent by marinating the food before you grill it. It’s thought this might be because typical marinade ingredients – tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and citrus juice – are high in cancer-fighting compounds. Interestingly, grilled vegetables have no cancer risk.
3) Stress can cause cancer
Fiction.
A third of people think the stress of bereavement or divorce can cause cancer, according to a Cancer Research UK survey.
In fact, although stress has been suspected as a risk factor in addictions, obesity, high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, colitis, asthma, insomnia, migraines, physiological disorders and a weakened immunity system, a connection to the development of cancer has not been proved. Stress has also not been linked to the return of cancer.
4) Cancer can be caused by knocks or bruises
Fiction.
In a Cancer Research UK survey, up to 40per cent of the people questioned mistakenly believed that if men bruise their testicles or women their breasts it could trigger the disease.
But injuries such as bruises, cuts, or broken bones cannot cause cancer.
Perhaps this idea is popular because a person may suffer an injury, see a doctor, and, coincidentally, a tumour, which has been there for a while, is discovered.
But cancer is a very complex disease, arising from a combination of many different factors. If there were one single cause of cancer, such as an injury, the cure would have been discovered long ago.
5) By wearing sunscreen you can’t get skin cancer
Fiction.
The worry with suntan lotions is that they can lull you into a false sense of security, making you feel you can stay out much longer than you should.
In the old days, when you stayed too long in the sun, you just went red – and that was a sign to head indoors. These days, because lotions allow people to stay in the sun much longer, there is a concern that they may be exposing them to higher levels of UVA radiation.
Remember, suntan lotions are not total blocks: they still allow some UV through. And although you are protected from burning you are still going to have the dangerous genetic changes in your skin that occur after sun exposure.
PLEASE NOTE: All information provided has been sourced from outside of Impact Young Heroes therefore the author or Young Heroes assumes no responsibility as a result of this article.
References: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-130635
Latest cancer news
New Kidney Cancer Surgery Technique
Could Reduce Organ Damage
A new method of surgery for kidney cancer could help reduce organ damage, leading to more successful treatment of the disease, scientists have discovered.
The research*, presented today (Wednesday) at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference in Liverpool, outlines a new form of key-hole, robotic surgery technique which only removes the tumour and saves the kidney.
This is achieved without stopping blood supply to the kidney at all – minimising kidney damage. Larger, more serious tumours could also to be removed by this technique.
Existing methods of kidney-sparing surgery stop blood flow to the kidney while the tumour is removed.
Stopping blood flow, even briefly, can affect kidney function, which can have an impact on the patient’s long-term survival.
Dr Inderbir S Gill**, pioneer of this new technique based at the University of Southern California said: “Good kidney function over the long-term is particularly important in patients with kidney cancer.
“We’re optimistic this new robotic surgical technique, that allows the healthy part of the kidney to be saved, will enable the best possible function of the organ, which we hope can increase the patient’s life-span.”
Under the new method, surgeons can control specific branches of the kidney’s arteries which directly supply blood to the tumour. Blood supply to the rest of the kidney stays untouched.
So far the technique – first used nine months ago – has been carried out successfully on 50 patients mostly in the US but also in the UK, India and Hong Kong.
Scientists now plan to compare patients having the new technique with those going through established methods of surgery to find out whether effectiveness of treatment, kidney function, and patient survival differ.
Dr Gill said: “Our initial analyses suggest that patients having the new type of surgery may have superior outcomes and better kidney function.”
Professor Tim Eisen, Cancer Research UK’s kidney cancer expert, said: “This research provides a big step forward in improving methods for removing the cancerous part of the kidney.
“This is an important technique since it allows kidney cancer patients, even some with large tumours, to keep as much as possible of their normal kidney function. They may need this later in life.
Sourced from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressrelease