Your hospital charity – supporting Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
The Ladies section of the Willingcott Valley Golf Club have kindly donated their remaining £300 from the closure of the golf course to the Seamoor Chemotherapy Unit.
Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The Ladies Section have been fantastic supporters over the years to the charity and we are very grateful for their support to the unit.
Pictured is Willingcott Lady members Carolyn Reed and Millie Painting with Seamoor Unit Junior Sister Mary Bragg.
The winner of a bicycle raffle that raised £2,500 for North Devon District Hospital’s Seamoor Unit has collected her prize.
Organisers of Croyde Ocean Triathlon have raised £2,500 for North Devon District Hospital’s Seamoor Unit with a bicycle raffle. Many of the tickets were sold by volunteers from the Over and Above charity at their stall within North Devon District Hospital.
The Raleigh Forge electric bike was donated by event sponsors Hyundai Roundswell and Southfork Braunton.
Raffle winner Shirley Lulham collected her prize on Wednesday. Before riding the bike from Southfork to her home in Buckland Brewer, Shirley said: “I like to do as much cycling as I can, although that’s usually on weekends – I’ll be able to go a lot further now.”
Over and Above fundraising manager Ian Roome, said: “A big thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket, and to Croyde Ocean Triathlon for supporting the Seamoor Unit.
“Proceeds from the raffle will go to helping local people who are being treated within the Seamoor Unit”
Catherine Pettett achieved her ultimate goal by achieving a 5 day hike along the awesome man made Great Wall of China, raising a fantastic £2,7050 for the Seamoor Chemotherapy & Day Treatment Unit at North Devon District Hospital.
Catherine said “I took part in the Great Wall of China Trek to raise funds for the Seamoor Unit at the North Devon District Hospital and in memory of my amazing Mum who sadly passed away from cancer in August 2015. It was an amazing experience. It was certainly not for the faint hearted, and in places very steep. Each day on the wall, it was a different and very challenging experience, especially on my third day when my muscles went into spasm. This was incredibly painful, but due to my sheer determination I was going to complete this challenge and getting to the top, whether I was in pain or not!
The whole experience of walking the Great Wall of China was amazing, it was so rewarding but challenging. I got an opportunity to lay a brick in memory of my Mum on part of the reconstructed wall and put a message underneath it. I met some great people, each of us doing this challenge for very different reasons, and I am sure that I have met some friends for life as we are already planning our next challenge for 2018. I have got some great photos and lots of memories that I will treasure for a long time, especially the moment when we were at the awards ceremony on the last night. All the names had been read out except for myself and another team member, and I was thinking “I haven’t completed the Great Wall of China Trek, how do I tell the individuals who have kindly sponsored me”. Then I heard “for someone who was very determined, always smiling, never gave up”… and then my name was read out. I was so pleased to hear my name, but the point when I realised I had achieved something great was when my colleague tapped me on the shoulder and said look back, and there was everyone standing up and clapping, I was so touched by this incredible gesture, it will remain a fantastic memory of this trip. Since returning home I have shown my medal off with great pride and sense of achievement.”
Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton said Catherine has been on an incredible journey raising a phenomenal amount for the hospital charity. The charity has now raised over £3 million for our Seamoor Unit which supports over 9,000 patients each year. The monies raised by Catherine will be used to purchase much needed equipment and complementary medicine days to support our patients with cancer.
The China Great Wall Trek for Over & Above with Global Adventure Challenges is a fantastic 5 day hike along this awesome man made structure. Stretching for 6,000km, it zig zags its way across China, snaking across mountains and through valleys – and the Great Wall provides a fantastic backdrop to some fantastic trekking. The challenge takes our participants over watch towers and mountains, through historic battlement stations that are well off the tourist trail – there are many sections during this charity challenge where you will feel the Great Wall is for just the team you are with, with no-one else in sight.
The trekking on this charity challenge is hard, due to the amount of steps each day- a highlight of this challenge is to conquer the 1,000 steps up to the wall at Mutianyu, culminating with the ascent of the ‘Heavenly Ladder’ – it can sometimes take an hour just to trek one kilometre on this glorious structure!
There is also some free time to explore Beijing’s famous sites, such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square before celebrating your achievement at dinner. If you would like to join the next Over & Above challenge of a lifetime visit the charity website and find out more on www.overandabove.org.uk
To support the hospital charity you can donate by phone, online, cheque or cash. Just bring your donation to the Fundraising Office on Level 2 at North Devon District Hospital, Raleigh Park, Barnstaple, EX31 4JB or phone the Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or if you want to find out more, please visit; www.overandabove.org.uk and the charity’s Facebook page or contact the North Devon District Hospital Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net
Scrumptious Croyde Trail participants Tim and Sha Jones raised a phenomenal £880 for the North Devon District Hospital Special Care Baby Unit through sponsorship at the event.
The Scrumptious Croyde Trail is a scenic 10 mile circular trail with participants either walking
Tim and Sha Jones in their farming themed fancy dress
or running the route which starting in Croyde and lead participants through the picturesque villages of Croyde, Saunton, Georgeham, Putsborough overlooking Woolacombe, with glimpses of stunning coastal views at every turn. Along the route participants are offered a delicious menu of local produce as they follow the paths around some of the UK’s finest beauty hot spots.
Participants were encouraged to wear farming themed fancy dress for the event and it was great to see so many people dressed up and joining in the fun.
They are pictured here with Colin Thorne of Webbers Estate Agents who sponsored the “Most Sponsorship Raised trophy” and Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton.
Tim and Sha raised a fantastic amount through their own fundraising, support from Stickbricks Nursery and matched funding from Western Power Distribution. The charity would like to thank everyone who supported Tim and Sha in raising such a phenomenal amount towards the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal. We would also like to thank Webbers Estate Agents for providing the trophy.
In total the charity raised almost £15,000 profit which will help the charity purchase a new ventilator for the unit.
FIFTY CHILDREN FROM NORTH MOLTON FRIDAY CLUB raised £831.50 for the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal.
The Friday Club has over 50 members between the ages of 7 – 11 years and meet at North Molton Methodist Church. The Friday Club chose the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal because some of the children had been looked after in the unit when they were babies and they wanted to do something to help.
Friday Club children with Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton, helper Sherry Lynch, Friday Club Leader Rosemarie Courtney and Julie Belcher-Truss, helper.
Friday Club Youth Leader, Rosemarie Courtney said, “The children enjoyed fundraising for the SCBU Unit. They coloured in pictures, made cakes, craft items, decorated flower pots which they then filled and made money collecting pots and were very enthusiastic about the project. We were delighted that we raised so much money to help the unit.”
After they had sold the items they had made, the children organised a fun evening with games and competitions. They also really enjoyed emptying their collecting pots into the Over and Above swirly wurly collecting tub.
Over and Above Hospital Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The Friday Club are amazing and have worked very hard to raise this amount of money. It really will make a difference to the care of our newborn babies in Barnstaple.
The Special Care Baby Unit Appeal aims to raise £220,000 to purchase much needed equipment to support our sickest and most vulnerable new born babies with urgent medical needs. So far, thanks to the amazing support from the people of North Devon the hospital charity has raised £150,000 towards its target.
If you would like to give your support to the hospital charity Over and Above, or want to find out more, please visit; www.overandabove.org.uk and the charity’s facebook page or contact the North Devon District Hospital Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net
The organisers of Sticklepath Bingo have raised an amazing £1,500 for the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal. Thanks to their amazing support the Appeal has now raised a magnificent £140,000 towards its £250,000 target.
The SCBU Appeal will enable doctors and nurses to treat the most vulnerable newborn born babies born prematurely or with complications. It will provide specialist equipment such as ventilators and the latest incubators so the the condition of newborn babies with urgent medical needs can be treated more effectively. It will enable the SCBU team to continue their fantastic care and enhance their capabilities.
Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton is pictured with Mary Gallagher, Maureen Babb and Sylvia Chugg.
Abbie Brailey raised a fantastic £1085 for the Seamoor (chemotherapy) Unit at North Devon District Hospital by running the Bath half marathon to say thank you for the care her Grandfather received in the unit.
Abbie said: “My Grampy is someone very dear to me. He has recently fought stomach cancer which has been a traumatic time for him and all my family. The treatment and support he and my Nan had from our local chemotherapy unit was phenomenal. They couldn’t have asked for better care the lovely nurses and doctors gave.”
The money will be used to purchase additional equipment for the Seamoor Chemotherapy & Day Treatment Unit to benefit the thousands of cancer patients we see each year.
Abbie is pictured with Over and Above Fundraiser Julie Whitton, Chemo Unit Manager Emma Thomms and her grandparents Mr & Mrs Clarke.
Huntsham Court, (www.huntshamcourt.co.uk) the exquisite private hire Victorian mansion near Tiverton, is delighted to announce that it is the main sponsor of Jim’s Journey as part of the Huntsham Hotspots initiative to aid local charities and unregistered charitable causes in the South West.
Starting today in Minehead, Jim Bray, a former communications manager for the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, is walking 630-miles along the entire South Western Coast Path this summer, in order to raise vital funds for two local cancer charities; Over and Above and Force Cancer Charity.
Huntsham Court Co-Owner Damian Llambias commented: “Jim’s Journey is a remarkable endeavour. We are delighted to give a donation to both charities and also to provide Huntsham Court as a venue for Jim’s Journey to host an additional fundraising event in September, once his walk is complete. We will be announcing details of the event shortly on our website”
Llambias continued “Huntsham Court has stood at the heart of this vibrant community for over a century and through Huntsham Hotspots, we want to ensure that the house and its grounds continue to play a role in the life of the area by supporting local causes such as Jim’s.”
Jim Bray said: “I’m really grateful to Huntsham Court for agreeing to join me as the main sponsor of Jim’s Journey.
“Huntsham Court is an amazing place, tucked away in the picturesque Mid Devon countryside near where I live, and I’ve enjoyed cycling to the grand entrance and back many a time in recent years.
“Not only are Chris and Damian making a direct financial contribution to FORCE and Over and Above to enhance services for cancer patients across Devon and beyond, they have also kindly agreed to offer me free use of the venue for a big closing event in September.
“I’m looking forward to working with Chris, Damian and the rest of the team over the coming weeks while I plot my way around the South West coastline.”
For more information about Huntsham Court’s Huntsham Hotspots programme or for local charities and causes wanting to apply, please visit www.huntshamcourt.co.uk/hotspots or call 01398 361 759.
Like the Jim’s Journey page on Facebook to track Jim’s progress and see a daily photo diary, or follow him on Twitter at @Jims_Journey.
To sponsor Jim, visit his Virgin Money Giving page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JimsJourney.
Companies interested in becoming a Jim’s Journey Business Buddy should call him on 07425 133606 or e-mail him at jims.journey@outlook.com.
Media contacts:
Jardine.howlett@whitetigerpr.com; 07866 508737
Kate.oreilly@whitetigerpr.com; 07790 023306
Cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com; 07968 255 464
More information
Built in 1869, Huntsham Court is a stunning baronial mansion, available for exclusive mid-week and weekend hire for events, weddings, parties, family get-togethers and corporate functions including gala dinners, award ceremonies and team building days.
The property is nestled in the Devon countryside, close to the town of Tiverton and Exmoor National Park and the Somerset border.
The house and its extensive grounds, which form part of the Huntsham Estate, offer a versatile space that can be tailored to suit guests’ individual needs. The property can accommodate up to 80 overnight guests (plus six under two year olds) in 34 bedroom suites, most of which are en-suite, and can seat up to 120 guests for banquets and functions.
The bedrooms are all of a similar standard providing ‘room equality’ throughout the house. Three bedrooms are located on the ground floor and are fully accessible to disabled people, 12 bedrooms are on the first floor, 11 on the second; there is one bedroom on the third floor. A further four bedrooms are located in the adjoining Garden Cottage. The detached three bedroom Gatekeeper’s House is also available at an additional charge.
Huntsham Court is licensed to carry out civil ceremonies and a pretty church is located just minutes away on the driveway for those looking for a religious ceremony. Guests are encouraged to use their own suppliers and there are no corkage fees or hidden charges.
The property boasts excellent transport links and is easily accessible by road and by rail: Two hour express rail service from London Paddington to Tiverton Parkway; twelve minute drive from J27 of the M5; thirty minute drive from Exeter; forty minute drive from Bristol.