matters
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
Summer 09
COVER story • CHASE support for Dads
NEWS from our team • CHASE welcomes new Chairman
CHASE supporting Dads Welcome to this latest edition of CHASE Matters. In this issue we are highlighting Dads supported by CHASE to coincide with Father’s Day. Life can be tough for a Dad coming to terms with the fact that his child or children will not reach adulthood.
• CHASE Let’s Lunch • Legacies and friends: Emily Baverstock
CHASE ensures Dads get support both at home and at Christopher’s – in whatever way they need it – ensuring they don’t miss out on some of the things many of us take for granted. We asked some children supported by CHASE what they think of their Dads...
PEOPLE like you • Sensory Garden • National Volunteer Week • Wildlife Aid • Celebrity Support • Trusts • CHASE Spring Raffle
NEWS from our team • Sensory Day • Music Therapy
SIAN, Age 14 Sian loves her Dad, Graham. She says: “He does lots for us and for me – he helps in the house he is very good! He calls me dipstick but I don’t mind – I think it’s funny.”
HELEN, Age 18 Helen says "I love my Dad... almost as much as my Bunny!!" “That's my Helen.” Says her Dad, David.
DAISY, Age 4 "I love my Daddy because he knows all the words to the songs from In the Night Garden and he loves me more than anything in the world", says Daisy.
ETHAN, Age 3 Ethan loves his Dad, Corey because he takes such good care of him. Ethan’s brothers and sisters love their Dad too – he plays computer games with Louie, lets Libby watch Star Wars movies at bedtime and baby Jonas loves to bounce on his tummy.
• SOCKS
CHASE calendar • Children’s Hospice Week • Events
To support our Father’s Day appeal go to
www.chasecare.org.uk/dads 1 5
CHASE new Chairman
Legacies and Friends
Gifts in Memory – Emily Baverstock
Will Spinney with CHASE Patron Anneka Rice
CHASE is delighted to welcome its new Chairman, Will Spinney to the Board. Will, who started his career in the Royal Navy, has spent much of his career working in finance. specialising in corporate treasury. He said: “I am delighted to have
the opportunity to help CHASE ensure as much support as possible can be given to as many families as possible who need our help.” CHASE extends thanks to former chairman Stephen Walls for his dedicated and tireless work for the charity. Stephen has now retired from the Board.
Let’s Lunch
On 1st January this year the life of Emily Baverstock age 17 was cut short. Emily had set her sights on becoming a children’s nurse at CHASE but it was not to be. Her sudden and untimely death devastated her parents Peter and Janet and her older brothers David and Tom. Emily had completed a course in childcare at Godalming College and was intending to do a nursing diploma at the University of Surrey. She was very keen for one of her practical placements during this course to be at CHASE – where she eventually wanted to work. Peter said: “Emily was besotted with children, particularly young children and animals. She was a real outdoor girl, a bit of a tomboy and she loved ski-ing – she was a smiley girl and very well liked by all who came into contact with her.”
Jude Milner’s Let’s Lunch in Dorking with friends! Richmond lunch guests Jennie Sears, Nicky Roeser, Geraldine Bennetts
A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our Let’s Lunch campaign this year – We are half way to our target to raise £20,000 and the money is still rolling in. The Richmond and Kingston Friends of CHASE celebrated the group’s tenth anniversary with a special lunch at Pissarro Restaurant in Chiswick which raised over £6,000.
The annual Richmond and Kingston group lunches were the inspiration for the first CHASE Let’s Lunch campaign last year. Lunches were held all over the CHASE area of South West London, Surrey and Sussex, and included a birthday lunch and even a lunch with Llamas!
Emily will not be able to support families herself but her parents wanted to do something in Emily’s memory to help. Gifts in Memory of Emily have been flooding in to CHASE. If you would like to set up a tribute for someone contact us on 01483 454213 for information on Gifts in Memory or gifts in lieu of presents at anniversaries, weddings, birthdays and other occasions.
2
PEOPLE like you
People Like You - Sensory garden unveiled
Sensory courtyard – guests at the opening
Iain and Charis cut the ribbon
CHASE welcomed families, supporters and celebrities to the official opening of its sensory courtyard at the beginning of April.
company Alterspace which not only undertook the work free of charge but also donated additional funds towards the cost of equipment – the total cost being £25,000.
wife, Charis, officially cut the ribbon and dedicated their part in the sensory courtyard to the memory of their son Lachlan, who died almost two years ago.
Funding to buy the specialised equipment was generously donated by the Armitage family, who have been supported by the CHASE service and Leatherhead construction
GMTV Presenter Andrew Castle, and Spooks favourites, Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes, were just some of the guests who applauded as Iain Armitage and his
Sign up to receive the latest CHASE news at www.chasecare.org.uk/enews
National Volunteers Week – June 1-7 Horsham Friends of CHASE chairman John Hastings has dedicated a huge amount of his time since 1996 to fundraising for CHASE and has been the leading light in the collection of millions of pounds for us.
first meeting in 1996 and spent five years as Trustee and vice chairman. He stepped down as the driving force behind the CHASE Flora London Marathon teams after ten years, having raised over £1.2 million during that decade through marathon sponsorship but continues to actively fundraise for CHASE. He says the journey with CHASE has been and still is “exciting and rewarding.”
John Hastings
Since his first £80 donation to CHASE, collected at his captain’s drive-in at Manning’s Heath Golf Club, John has promoted the work of CHASE far and wide. He has been chair of the Horsham group since its
CHASE celebrates National Volunteers Week this June. We put the spotlight on one of our longest serving volunteers.
To find out about volunteering for CHASE visit www.chasecare.org.uk/volunteering or call Erica Quaile on 01483 230960. 3
Wildlife Aid comes to Christopher’s Simon Cowell of the Wildlife SOS television programme brought some baby animals to Christopher’s to show the children and chat about his Wildlife Aid animal rescue centre in Leatherhead. Simon doesn’t usually take rescued baby animals on visits, as his philosophy is to release them back into the wild with as little human contact as possible. But there is a small window of opportunity, when the animals are very young for them to be handled without jeopardising their future. Lucky children at Christopher’s met two tiny fox cubs, baby squirrels and a young hedgehog.
Simon Cowell shows Carter and care team member Rachel Weatherley a fox cub
Expressions on the children’s faces brought tears to the eyes of care team
members and parents – so a huge thank you to Simon and Wildlife Aid fundraiser
Denise Burton, who came along to help out!
Celebrity Support
Trust Support CHASE would like to thank: • The Toy Trust • The Mason le Page Charitable Trust • Fantasy Charity Fund for their recent support in donating funds to CHASE.
CHASE Spring Raffle
Keeley and Matthew meet Lewis!
Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen have become firm supporters of CHASE. We first met Keeley at a private screening of “Under the Greenwood Tree” at BAFTA in which Keeley starred and were delighted to welcome her and Matthew on a tour of Christopher’s earlier this year. They returned recently to the
unveiling of our new Sensory Courtyard garden and we are looking forward to seeing them again soon at future events. To find out more about our celebrity supporters go to www.chasecare.org.uk/celebrities.
The CHASE Spring raffle draw takes place on June 30 – make sure you have got your tickets for the chance to win a first prize of £1,000; a luxury hotel break with Classic British Hotels; a Nintendo Wii or case of wine. Tickets are available from CHASE fundraising office on 01483 454213. Make sure you return your ticket books to us by June 22!
4
NEWS from our team
The children CHASE supports have been enjoying lots of different activities with their families which have been made possible thanks to your generosity. Special days together are really important in making memories for families to treasure forever.
Sensory day CHASE is proud to have the most comprehensive therapy team of all the children’s hospices in the UK.
Caleb, sister Scarlet and their Dad Matthew from New Malden enjoy a treasure hunt in the grounds at Christopher’s, as part of the sensory day activities
CHASE Occupational Therapist, Fiona Armitage says: “Having a range of traditional and alternative therapies is so important at CHASE because many of the children supported by us have multiple learning difficulties and complex medical needs and we can offer something to suit every child including music therapy, arts and crafts, hydrotherapy, sessions in our wonderful sensory room and outdoor activities too. The therapies also extend to the wider family - a Mum can have an Indian head massage at Christopher’s or siblings can come to their own special support group for activities and counseling.” In addition we have many popular visitors including PAT (Pets As Therapy) dogs, friendly donkeys and even Llamas!
Ciara and her Dad Jim from Dorking at Sensory Day
S.O.C.K.S –
Music therapy Two professional musicians from Music in Hospitals thrilled youngsters at Christopher’s on a recent visit.
(Siblings Of CHASE KidS) therapy for siblings S.O.C.K.S is the sibling support group which offers fun times and excursions with other siblings as well as counseling and therapy. We recently took a group along to the Spectrum Bowl at Guildford where – as you can see – they had a great time!
Anne Allen who plays the flute and Melanie Jones who plays the harp, entertained children and gave them percussion instruments to play so they could join in the music. Sophie enjoying Music in Hospitals with her mum Annette (right) and carer Eileen Stevens
Fred Norris enjoys the bowling
5
CHASE calendar
CHASE activities for Children’s Hospice Week 2009 Children’s Hospice Week takes place this year between 19 and 26 September and CHASE will be among children’s hospices up and down the country calling on people to make time for fundraising
during this special charity week. Keep an eye on our website for special activities www.chasecare.org.uk/childrens hospiceweek
London Bridges Walk – 13th September CHASE will be kick-starting Children’s Hospice Week activities with the London Bridges Walk on Sunday 13th September. This will be the fourth CHASE London Bridges Walk and is a popular attraction on the London events calendar! The walk will start from the Tower of London, walking over the Thames bridges, doing a quiz along the way. Join us for this great family day out – find out more on our website www.chasecare.org.uk/londonbridgeswalk or phone our fundraising team on 01483 454213
CHASE Contemporary Art Show – 12th Nov The CHASE Chelsea Friends of CHASE Group reaches a milestone this year, presenting the tenth CHASE Contemporary Art Show which will be held on Thursday November 12th at the prestigious Henry Moore Galleries, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore.
Christmas Carol Concert The Christmas Carol concert organised by Surrey Life magazine for CHASE is a seasonal must! This promises to be a really exciting event this year with a wide variety of music and some special guests. Watch our website for details of the date and venue www.chasecare.org.uk/events
Loseley 10K & 4K – 1st November Join us on November 1st at 9.30am for the fourth Loseley 10K and 4K Fun Runs in the beautiful grounds of Loseley Park, near Guildford, Surrey. There are two distances, 10K and 4K for runners of all ages and standards. You can run it, jog it or walk it! It’s a great family day out. There is easy registration online, a free tee shirt, medals, prizes and café refreshment. All runners will receive a free fundraising pack and fundraising advice. Find out more on our website www.chasecare.org.uk/loseley10k or phone our fundraising office on 01483 454213.
This event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for CHASE since it began.
Members of the Chelsea Friends group at last year’s art show.
Anyone interested in supporting this event, either personally or corporately should contact CHASE on 01483 454213 or email community@chasecare.org.uk
Paul and Lizzie Bartlett who took part in the 2008 Loseley 10K.
Would you like to receive CHASE Matters by email instead of by post? Or would you like to be kept up to date with our e-newsletter instead? Sign up at www.chasecare.org.uk/enews or call us on 01483 454213. CHASE matters is produced by the CHASE Public Relations and Communications Department. Any comments or suggestions are welcome at: CHASE, Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey GU3 1HS. Telephone 01483 454213, fax 01483 454214 or email press@chasecare.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1042495
6 5