Celebrating the Joy of Giving, by Kate Rosindale of Blog Preston

Celebrat ing the joy of giving

Blog Preston is a Community Interest Company working at the heart of the city to share news and information – and what a big heart Preston has!

Throughout 2021 we’ve seen countless examples of Proud Prestonians giving their all to help others, whether it be the fundraising efforts of colleagues, projects making a positive impact in the community, or individuals taking on huge personal challenges.

No matter your religious belief, Christmas is a wonderful time to celebrate the joy of giving so here Blog Preston’s director and co-editor Kate Rosindale shares some of her most inspiring moments of big heartedness from 2021.

Go o d b oy Jasp er! Therapy do g honoured for helping NHS staff

Preston therapy dog Jasper received the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Animal of the Year Award in 2021.

Cockapoo Jasper, 6, and owner David Anderson visited the House of Lords where they received recognition for supporting more than 9,000 NHS staff during the pandemic.

As part of his role to make people smile and feel better, Jasper has been trained to identify when someone is upset so he can go to them and they can stroke him.

David said: “Traumatised staff feel they can’t always share their thoughts and feelings with family. Sometimes they just need to have a cuddle with Jasper, have a cry and go back to the wards.”

When he is not busy helping people, Jasper loves nothing more than walks with David and playing with toys donated by hospital staff.

Photography:

@PeterStevensPhotography

Preston’s free

kitchen: Langar Sewa feeds help those in need

Earlier this year Preston Sikh Sewa Society UK restarted its Langar Sewa feeds, which serve some of the city’s most vulnerable people.

Each Saturday night a group of volunteers from various backgrounds meet at the Market Street canopy to run the free vegetarian kitchen. They also distribute warm clothing during colder months.

The event, which had been paused to keep volunteers safe during the pandemic, originally started in Preston in 2017. However, the free kitchen idea is hundreds of years old, having been initiated by the founder of Sikhism in the 15th century.

During lockdown, the group continued to offer support by arranging meals for UCLan students and distributing food items for fellow community group Preston Here for Humanity.

A volunteer for Preston Sikh Sewa Society UK said: “We want to thank Preston City Council and The Foxton Centre members for their support during these difficult times and giving us the measures to restart.”

That’s a lap! Colleagues took on Docks challenge for mental health

A group of mental health professionals banded together earlier this year to raise awareness and funds for local support networks.

The group, plus their friends and family, joined the Mental Health Miles event and covered an impressive 168 laps of Preston Docks.

Hundreds of pounds were raised for Combat Stress, the military veterans mental health charity, and Jacob’s Join, a local charity for research into rhabdomyosarcoma. Organiser Haze Mathers said: “The event was a fantastic opportunity to network with our colleagues, friends and families and the wider community.

“We used a favourite venue of ours at the Marina to access the outdoors to promote physical and emotional wellbeing. Our aim is to continue to raise awareness of mental health in our city.”

I felt so close to her: Preston

model’s skydive to honour mum

Preston model Nina Di Niro took part in a skydive to honour her mum and raise £5,000 for St Catherine’s Hospice.

Nina’s mum Vijya passed away in July, just months after doctors discovered she had kidney cancer, which had spread to her lungs and lymph nodes. She spent two weeks in St Catherine’s and died peacefully a few days after her 46th birthday party.

Nina, who did the skydive along with brother Luca, said: “Mamma was all about living life to the full. She had a bucket list that included doing a skydive, so Luca told her he would do one for her. “We weren’t nervous because we were just so excited to be doing something that Mamma would love. It was an amazing experience; I felt like I was flying, and I just felt so close to her at that moment.

“Mamma’s advice was to always be kind and live our best lives, so that’s what we’ll keep doing.”

To view more inspirational stories of giving, visit blogpreston.co.uk. To share your own uplifting stories, email contactus@blogpreston.co.uk

S m a r t C o nt ra c to r s

At Smart Contractors we work as Building Service Engineers across the education, retail, healthcare, commercial and industrial sectors providing forward thinking installation and maintenance solutions across the North West and Nationwide.

Founded in June 2021 by long-time friends Daniel Fox and Carl Titherley, Smart Contractors saw the merge of both their current established and successful Electrical contracting businesses Fox Contractors and Circuit Electrical.

Daniel Fox said “The merge of Fox Contractors and Circuit Electrical will allow us to undertake larger projects and provide a more reactive maintenance service to our customers. We want to establish ourselves as one of the leading Electrical Contractors in the North West and further afield. Smart Contractors primary objective is to complete every project, despite the size, safely, on time and within budget.”

The merge has brought over 30 years of experience between the friends. Combining their staff teams has allowed them to deliver a broader range of industry expertise. In addition, their mutual experience brings many years of technical knowledge to customers and clients, which in turn provides clients with the reassurance of an established and professional company that can deliver electrical solutions to any project.

Choosing Smart Contractors…

Smart Contractors are experts in their field and are fast becoming the number one choice for high-end electrical installations services in various settings. With a proven track record of competence and know-how, together with their commitment to quality and customer care is earning them a fantastic reputation as trustworthy contractors.

Call us on 01772 754194 Email carl@smart-contractors.co.uk

Party at Bar Pintxos this Christmas

Enjoy Christmas San Sebastian Style at Preston’s Bar Pintxos with bookings now open for groups and parties.

Pintxos are small bite-sized skewers featuring some of the finest delicacies famous in the Basque region. Created as ‘food art’ they are designed to be enjoyed while socialising and are the perfect party partner to friends and fizz.

At £35 per head, you can enjoy unlimited* Pintxos, speciality Paella and Cava from mid-November every Thursday, Friday and Saturday! Keep your eyes on our social channels for details on New Year’s Eve – one not to be missed!