Chiltern Toy Bank: could you help?

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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Could you donate new & (giftable quality) pre-loved toys – between 28th September & 6th October – to bring Christmas cheer to local families in need?

Thanks to the hard work of between 30 & 50 dedicated local volunteers (“Elves”), Chiltern Toy Bank has been providing free toys and gifts at Christmas to children, aged 0-18, living in parts of the Chilterns who would otherwise not receive anything due to financial hardship or other disadvantages of their parents or guardians.

They have operated in and around Chesham, Amersham and Prestwood for over a decade formally became a registered charity in 2018-2019.

Their aim is to make sure that no child will go without a gift over the festive period.

What can I donate?

Any new or pre-loved toys and gifts that are clean, complete and in good condition are welcome. If you wouldn’t gift it to a child in your family for Christmas then they can’t take it. Chiltern Toy Bank particularly needs: arts, crafts and creative kits for ages 8+, science kits for ages 8+, gifts for teenagers aged 13+ (like make-up, toiletries, hats, scarves etc).

They cannot accept soft toys without their CE label attached, any games with missing pieces, books that are scribbled in or have missing pages, colouring and activity books or make-up and arts supplied that are used.

Where can I drop gifts?

Chesham:
• White Hill Centre, White Hill
• Post Office, High Street
• Chesham Town Hall, Parsonage Lane

Prestwood:
• Hildreths Garden Centre
• Wye Country Estate Agent, High Street
• The Pantry at 51
• (All subject to individual opening times)

Amersham:
• Chiltern Lifestyle Centre
• Amersham Common Village Hall, Saturday 28th Sept & Saturday 5th Oct 2-5pm
• King’s Church, Raans Road, Mon 30th Sept – Fri 4th Oct, 9.30am-12pm

To find out more about the charity, or offer to help, or request help, visit Chiltern Toy Bank – Christmas 2023

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Early bird rates for Santa run

Karen Neville

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Image by: Paul Fitchett Images

Karen Neville

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Join the Santa Fun Run in Farnborough on Sunday, 1st December and raise vital funds for Phyllis Tuckwell

Sign up now at the Early Bird rate for Phyllis Tuckwell’s Santa Fun Run and get sponsored to walk, run, jog, hop, skip and support local hospice care.

This festive fun run will take place at 11am, at The Wavell School, Farnborough. It’s a great way to get the whole family or a group of friends together over the festive season, and you can even bring along your four-legged friend – dogs are welcome on a lead. If you sign up now, you’ll take advantage of the Early Bird registration fees (until October 31st) of £12 for adults and £5 for children (age 14 and under). Registration includes a Santa suit for adults or reindeer antlers for children.

All the money you raise in sponsorship will go towards helping local charity Phyllis Tuckwell provides its vital care for patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer – so please do try to raise as much as you can!

The route covers two laps of Queen’s Avenue playing fields, a total of approx 5k, but you can do just one – everyone who takes part will receive a medal and you can complete it at your own pace – running, jogging, walking or even hop, skip and jumping your way round!

“Our Santa Fun Run is always a really enjoyable event, and it raises such important funds to help support our case,” said Fiona Chapman, events fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. “We would like to say a big thank you to The Wavell School for hosting it once again and to Vale Furnishers for kindly sponsoring the event.”

Sign up now at Santa Fun Run | Phyllis Tuckwell (pth.org.uk) and pop this fun festive date in your diary!

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Hospice charity brings back Sustainable September

Ellie Cox

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Ellie Cox

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Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care announces the return of its Sustainable September campaign. The month-long event is back for its second year, bigger and better than before.

The charity is encouraging people in Bucks to participate in the challenge, whereby people wear one item of clothing or an accessory from a charity shop every day throughout the month of September.

Rennie Grove Peace will be sending out a weekly email newsletter with styling tips and tricks from personal stylist and founder of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle, Alex Standley (Alex Standley Personal Stylist St Albans (@luxeleopardlifestyle)). Each newsletter will feature a theme to inspire participants with their outfits for that week. Those taking part are asked to simply tag Rennie Grove Peace) on Instagram or Facebook and use #RGPSustSept. There will be a prize draw at the end of the month that will include anyone who has uploaded a photo and tagged the charity during the 30-day campaign.

In the same month, the Rennie Grove Peace Beaconsfield ReLoved Boutique, which stocks high-end and designer pre-loved items, will host its annual fashion show fundraising evening. The hugely successful event has already sold out for the second year running and will be hosted by Bucks-based personal stylist Emma Lou (Emma Lou Stylist (@emloustylist)).

Rennie Grove Peace currently has 33 high street shops, with 13 across Bucks which stock high-quality, preloved clothes, accessories and homeware. The charity also has an online presence via its eBay shop.

Rennie Grove Peace charity shops raise vital income to fund its services which support patients in Bucks with life-limiting illnesses. Items donated to the charity have previously included brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Mulberry and Christian Dior.

Deborah Gould, Director of Retail & Trading at Rennie Grove Peace, says:

“We’re delighted to be bringing Sustainable September back as an even bigger and better event in its second year. Second-hand fashion continues to grow in popularity and this challenge is a great way for us to showcase how pre-loved clothing can be part of your everyday routine.

“People who took part last year told us they enjoyed the challenge of creating different outfits throughout the month. We’re encouraging people to head down to their local Rennie Grove Peace shop to see what they can find. Whether it’s a whole outfit, one piece or an accessory, there’s something for everybody in our shops and the fun comes in how you mix and match items throughout the month!”

To find out more and register to receive the weekly email newsletter with styling tips and tricks for Sustainable September visit here.

To find your local Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care charity shop visit here.

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Sisters’ heartfelt cancer story & fundraiser

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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Two sisters, Charlotte and Sophie Rooney, from Oxfordshire, are fundraising to throw a festival to raise money for Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK following Charlotte’s diagnosis of a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

Charlotte, aged 34, lives with her partner and four-year-old daughter. In April this year, her family were presented with the devasting news that Charlotte had been diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC), a type of head and neck cancer. ACC is a rare form of cancer affecting only five in every million people in the UK. Charlotte is currently undergoing intense radiotherapy treatment and has been told she faces a very uncertain future.

Charlotte says: “In January 2024 I noticed a blocked nose without any other cold-like symptoms. After waiting for it to subside on its own for two to three weeks, I went to the doctor but was sent away twice. By the middle of February, I started developing a tingling sensation in the right side of my face. As the nose didn’t clear and the tingling became burning, I went back to the GP and was diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. They referred me to ENT, but the wait to be seen was about 20 weeks. The pain in the face worsened so with help from my parents, I had a private consultation. The ENT doctor found a polyp in my nose and, to rule anything serious, requested scans and a surgical biopsy. On the 18th of April my consultant said I had Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a terminal cancer and the chances of being cured are in the single percentages.”

Charlotte and her sister Sophie, who grew up in Hook Norton but now lives in the Lake District, are planning a festival for their friends and family to enjoy once the unwanted side effects of Charlotte’s radiotherapy wear off. The event will take place on 12th October at Hadsham Farm in Horley, Oxfordshire. The local venue has very generously provided the event space at a discounted rate to host the festival.

The sisters are hoping local people and businesses will support the fundraiser and have set up a JustGiving page for donations. They aim to raise £10,000 to put on the festival, with proceeds on the evening going to Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK. Charlotte and Sophie are also calling on Oxon-based companies who may wish to donate raffle prizes, auction items or become a drink or food sponsor.

Sophie says, “Seeing Charlotte approach her treatment with such grit and determination has encouraged us to do something big that we can look forward to once the unwanted side effects of radiotherapy wear off. She is incredibly sociable and one of her dreams is to host a festival for friends and family. We are hoping to raise enough money to throw one heck of an event! We will be using the money raised from the Just Giving page and are asking for donations from local businesses where appropriate.

“Seeing Charlotte approach her treatment with such grit and determination has encouraged us to do something big”

The festival will be a private event for friends and family – but on the night we hope to raise money for the Oracle Head & Cancer UK through entrance donations, games and competitions, and an auction of promises. Any money raised that exceeds the amount needed to fund the event will also be donated to the charity.”

Michelle Vickers, Chief Awareness Officer at Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK says: “We are incredibly grateful to Charlotte and Sophie for sharing their story to raise awareness of these types of cancers. Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer and yet many people have never heard of it. We hope the Oxfordshire community gets behind them to put on a fantastic event for Charlotte and her friends and family whilst also raising funds for Oracle Head & Neck Cancer UK to help combat the head and neck cancer crisis.”

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Vocal locals: South Bucks Choral Society!

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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South Bucks Choral Society are in fine voice, rehearsing for upcoming concerts at St Mary’s in Old Amersham. Jay Roff tells us more and invites you to audition on 7th & 8th September

Do you enjoy singing? Even if you haven’t sung in a choir before, why not give it a try? Choral singing is a fun and rewarding pastime that has been proven to promote a sense of wellbeing.

South Bucks Choral Society have established an excellent reputation in the area, performing some of the greatest choral works in western music. Our next performance, the ever-popular Handel’s Messiah on 30th November, is a great intro to choral singing.

South Bucks Choral Society was founded by our conductor, Iain Ledingham, in 1980. Iain is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. He has been Director of Opera there and was musical director of the Academy’s prestigious and highly successful Bach Cantata series from 2009 to 2018. We have received great reviews in the local press.

Accompanied by a first-class professional orchestra and excellent soloists from the Royal Academy of Music, our main concerts are centred around one of the great choral works. Past performances include Verdi’s Requiem, Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Samson, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem & C minor Mass. The choir have also taken part in operas by Handel and Mozart. In 2019 we performed Mozart’s great opera Idomeneo with the amazing young tenor Freddie de Tommaso in the title role. He is now singing major roles at the Royal Opera House and throughout Europe.

Even after the most challenging day at work, going to rehearsal takes away the stress, I feel happier and have so much more energy. I’ve been a member of SBCS since I was 18! Verdi’s Requiem was the first work I learned, and I was hooked. Singing with the choir is exhilarating. Together we can create this amazing sound – the sum is so much greater than the parts.

Each year we perform two major concerts with orchestra, in November and April. There’s also our popular carol concert in December and a summer concert featuring opera choruses, folk songs and shorter choral works. We are aiming to increase our number to nearer 100 (so we can return to performing works that demand a larger choir such as Verdi’s Requiem.

We meet for rehearsals 8-10pm on Tuesday evenings, from September to April, in St Joseph’s School Hall, Chalfont St Peter. We also run an optional summer programme during May and June. Why not head to a 10-minute audition at Chalfont St Peter Parish Church 9.30am to 3pm on Saturday, and 2-6pm on Sunday 8th? Feel free to bring a piece of music to sing if you wish. Ability to sight read is not essential, we just ask that you can sing in tune!

If you’d like to take part, please email [email protected]. For more info please also visit South Bucks Choral Society

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Squire’s garden centres team’s generous giving

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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Squire’s Garden Centres have once again shown support for local charitable causes in the community, through the Charity of the Year programme, raising over £25,000 across their 16 centres and group office.

The initiative, which is now going into its 13th year, sees each centre choose a local charity to work with over the course of the year, running 1st August to 31st July.

Charitable organisations who are selected to partner with each of Squire’s 16 centres as well as Farnham-based group office, must meet specific:
• that they benefit local people with donations reaching a local cause (rather than funds going to a national pot)
• they must be a registered charity
• they are a family or people-based charity or support the environment.

Squires MD Martin Breddy says: “I would like to congratulate colleagues on their brilliant efforts over the past year in showing their support for their chosen charity partners and hosting various events and activities. We couldn’t raise the fantastic amount we have without the generosity and support of our valued customers who assist in our fundraising efforts – a very sincere thank you to them. I know the sums raised will make a big difference to our charity partners.”

“We couldn’t raise the fantastic amount we have without the generosity and support of our valued customers.”

As well as the crucial fundraising, working together often provides a platform to help communicate the charity’s work and relevance to local people and the community. In some cases, there may be the opportunity for a charity’s client to be involved with the centre providing valuable learning opportunities and experiences.

Funds raised over the course of the year come from charity boxes in each centre, the annual Plantathon event, ticket sales from Squire’s grottos, raffles and other customer-facing activities. Centre teams also have taken on larger events and initiatives, including walking to the summit of Mount Snowdon, a staff member running a 10k race, a pop-up shop selling donated Christmas gifts and a charity partner’s gardening club visiting a centre to experience potting-up and selling planted containers.

Chairman Sarah Squire adds: “Squire’s colleagues have continued to support their local communities through their fundraising efforts in support of our Charity of the Year programme. They strive to do their best, working in partnership with their chosen charities that play such an important role in the local community. Our Charity of the Year programme is all about making a big difference for local people.”

Squire’s also supports Greenfingers Charity, the national charity which builds gardens for children’s hospices as well as Perennial, which assists people who work or have worked in horticulture. Squire’s also assists many local causes and events within their local communities in addition to the figure donated through the Charity of the Year programme.

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Chris’s moving Rennie Grove Peace appeal

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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Chris Everitt shares his thoughts about how Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care looked after his mum at the end of her life last year, ahead of the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on 8th September

Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is calling on people and local businesses to step up for the 15th anniversary Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge.

In the run-up to the event, Chris, whose mum Caroline was in the care of Rennie Grove Peace, has shared his experiences in the hope of promoting others to volunteer for the charity.

Caroline went into the care of Rennie Grove Peace in 2023 after her seven-year battle with cancer took a turn, with doctors identifying that cancer had returned in her brain.

Throughout Caroline’s end of life care, Chris said the nurses at Rennie Grove Peace were supportive and worked to find ways that she could remain independent.

Now Chris hopes his story will raise awareness of the work Rennie Grove Peace do and prompt more people volunteer to help out at the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on 8th September.

Chris’s mum, Caroline, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 at the age of just 49. Months of treatment successfully treated her cancer until there was no evidence of disease remaining.

All was well until 2019 when an MRI revealed that the cancer had metastasised and was present in her liver, lung, spine, brain, head and jaw. Further treatment followed, to try and reduce the tumours and keep Caroline well for as long as possible.

Regular tests helped the family understand how Caroline’s tumours were responding to treatment and by 2020 many of the tumours had cleared up, so they remained in just her lung and liver. This was celebrated by the family, Caroline’s friends and anyone that knew her.

However, in 2022 tests revealed that the tumour had returned in Caroline’s brain. At this point, the family was told that her prognosis would be shorter. By 2023, Caroline was starting to deteriorate and that’s when the Rennie Grove Peace team stepped in.

Chris says: “The Rennie Grove Peace nurses were so supportive and really worked to find ways for Mum to stay as independent as possible. The nurses visited regularly, and they could advise us when we were ready for the next step, like suggesting when we might like to think about a stair lift or a hospital bed.”

As Caroline began to deteriorate, she was referred to the Rapid Personalised Care Service, which sees Rennie Grove Peace healthcare assistants visit up to four times per day to support with personal care such as washing and dressing.

Chris continues: “Everybody who visited from Rennie Grove Peace was compassionate and honest with us. At one point the nurses told us that, based on her deterioration, they thought she would probably die within a week.”

Sadly, Caroline died three days later, on 6th October, four days before Chris’s 30th birthday.

During the time Rennie Grove Peace staff were visiting, Chris learned how little of the charity’s funding comes from the government and how reliant the organisation is on fundraising. He decided to start fundraising to ensure other families can access the same care his family benefitted from. Most recently, Chris completed the National Three Peaks Challenge to raise vital funds for Rennie Grove Peace.

Now, Chris wants to encourage people in Buckinghamshire to get behind the Chilterns 3 Peaks Challenge on Sunday, 8th September, to ensure other local people can benefit from the support his family received.

Rennie Grove Peace is also appealing for on-the-day volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Various roles are available, including road crossing marshals and car park marshals, with volunteers asked to commit to four hour shifts on the day.

Anyone wishing to help on the day is asked to email: [email protected]. For more information about the event visit renniegrovepeace.org/C3P

For more information on the work of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care, visit Home – Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care or call 01923 330 330.

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Urgent plea for families in need

Round & About

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Could you help The Link Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting children affected by domestic violence, bereavement, disability and poverty?

This amazing volunteer-powered local charity is currently experiencing an unprecedented demands for beds, cots and mattresses. The team are looking to partner with businesses and individuals who want to make a difference in our community.

Is there a challenge you have always fancied taking? Are you a business which could hold a team building fundraiser? Perhaps you fancy joining The Link Foundation as they raise awareness and funds at the Maidenhead Boundary Walk?

The team, who help families in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, are always excited to brainstorm ideas on how they could work together to provide all the beds needed to give local kids a good night’s sleep.

Please call 01628 400600 or donate at The Link Foundation – JustGiving

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Didcot Divas concert of hope

Round & About

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A concert in Wantage on July 28th is helping a cause close to members’ hearts and easing the heartache for many more people with funds for Missing People

Didcot Divas will perform a concert at St John Vianney & Sacred Heart Church with heartfelt meaning for members and none more so than one its number, Gill Koch.

Each year the group of ladies ‘of a certain age’ who have been singing together for 14 years chooses a charity to support, this year it is Missing People.

Gill is just one of those who is only too aware of the charity’s work and support. After 20 years she has no idea where her beloved son Gareth is. In 2004, the 24-year-old flew to Kathmandu in Nepal for a four-week trekking holiday with the aim of reaching the base camp of Mount Everest. Travelling with an older work colleague who had been previously and equipped with maps and a strict itinerary, they set off. That was the last time Gill and husband David saw Gareth. They tell their story:

“Gareth was due back in the country on 20th March 2004 but when he failed to contact us to let us know he had arrived safely we initially assumed that he had taken a later flight.

“We were somewhat bemused to discover that his work colleague had returned a week earlier than planned and had left Gareth in Nepal. Both the Embassy in Nepal and Thames Valley Police were contacted and Gareth was now officially a missing person. A search was organised by the Embassy in the hope of tracing him or at the very least where he was last seen. Unfortunately, the Embassy failed to organise a proper search and used a local guide who could not speak or read English, had no photograph of Gareth or even a copy of his handwriting.

“After a local fundraising event in September 2004 we flew out to Nepal in the hope of finding Gareth or at the very least, some trace of him. We spent four weeks trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas, reaching Chhukung, just below Base Camp. Although we did not find Gareth we did discover where he had stayed as he had signed into one of the tea lodges.

“Since then there have not been any other sightings or information as to what may have happened to him.

“We are very grateful to Missing People, a national charity which has been, and continues to be extremely supportive to us and other families who have family members who have gone missing both here in the UK and abroad.”

Tickets will be £10, no concessions. Cash only. Children and students free. Contact Judith for ticket enquiries on 07557 940801 and via email at [email protected]

There will also be donation buckets at the concert.

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Go on safari in Fleet

Round & About

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Fleet & District Carnival Chairman Leanne Walmsley invites us all to a fun-filled day with fantastic events and all for a wonderful community cause

On Saturday 6th July, we will be celebrating the 67th Fleet and District Carnival! We have an awesome line up of events for you this year and look forward to you helping us raise money for this year’s charity.

Chosen by our Facebook supporters the 2024 charity is Parity for Disability, a local association which enables adults with multiple disabilities to continue to be a part of the wider community, supported by trained and caring staff.

The theme for this year is ‘safari’, and we can’t wait to see all those fantastic procession entries roam through the streets of Fleet.

The procession is just the start of this fantastic day, and once they lead onto Calthorpe Park, we have a whole host of entertainment lined up for you including the main stage featuring six amazing acts; traditional fete games are back after proving so popular in 2023; Searle’s fun fair and we have an awesome petting zoo which will be next to the ever-popular dog show. The Park will be filled with plenty of refreshment options and the other local charity and community stalls.

We also welcome our 2024 headline sponsor – Untold Reality. Located on Fleet high street, Untold Reality is the premier destination for futuristic experiences.

They will be in Calthorpe Park for the carnival, and with top-of-the-line modern VR systems and a wide range of games, they will be the place to be to try out a VR game, escape room, and many other VR experiences.

Come down and join us for what will be an absolutely fun packed day which you don’t want to miss out on!

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