Greatest Showman sing-along fundraiser at UPP

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

fundraiser

Liz Nicholls

, ,

The Ultimate Picture Palace and Yellow Submarine invite the community to a spectacular family-friendly event, a Greatest Showman sing-along fundraiser at 3pm on Saturday, 23rd November

This exciting event will bring together fans of the hit movie The Greatest Showman for an afternoon of music, fun, and support for a fantastic local charity Yellow Submarine.

Guests will have the opportunity to sing along to all the iconic songs from The Greatest Showman, with on-screen lyrics guiding everyone through hits such as This is Me, Rewrite the Stars and The Greatest Show. This is a relaxed screening where everyone is welcome.

Proceeds from the event will go to Yellow Submarine, a local charity dedicated to supporting young people with learning disabilities by providing opportunities for personal development, social inclusion, and community engagement.

“Yellow Submarine’s mission is to empower young people with learning disabilities and give them the chance to fully participate in their community,” says Ella, community fundraiser for Yellow Submarine. “The themes of inclusivity, acceptance, embracing diversity and empowerment in the Greatest Showman really speak to our values at Yellow Submarine. We are grateful to the support of the Ultimate Picture Palace for helping us with this exciting sing-along event.” 

This family-friendly event is the perfect outing for all ages, offering something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a fan of The Greatest Showman or simply looking for a fun, interactive experience, this sing-along is designed to bring people together in a lively and inclusive atmosphere. 

The Ultimate Picture Palace is Oxford’s independent cinema, offering a range of films, events, and community activities in a welcoming and intimate setting. With a commitment to supporting local causes and creating unique experiences, the cinema is a hub for cultural and community engagement in Oxford. 

Yellow Submarine believes people with learning disabilities and autism deserve to live life to the full. The charity provides a range of social, educational, and developmental activities. Their programmes focus on inclusion, empowerment, and fostering connections within the community. 

Buy your tickets at uppcinema.com/show/yellow-submarine-presents-the-greatest-showman-sing-a-long-fundraiser/  

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Sisters’ heartfelt cancer story & fundraiser

Liz Nicholls

Posted on

fundraiser

Liz Nicholls

, ,

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.”

Latest posts

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Rebus Theatre Group fundraiser

Round & About

Posted on

fundraiser

Enjoy an evening’s entertainment with Rebus Theatre Group and help raise funds for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice rebuild. Ian Wilson-Soppitt invites us to take our seats and have a laugh

Rebus Theatre Group was formed 20 years ago for the purpose of performing original murder mystery plays for charities.

The man behind the idea was well known local actor, author and playwright, Alan Macland. Alan wrote a handful of entertaining plays with colourful characters and intriguing plots. They were performed by a small and very professional cast of local players.

The concept behind Rebus has always been that all proceeds go directly to the charity being supported and we work closely with sponsors to make sure we maximise their contribution. In the early days we supported local Rotary and Lions groups and their charities. We have more recently performed for Alzheimer’s Society, Cardiac Rehab, Citizen’s Advice, Cruse, Elstead Village Hall, Homestart and Prostate Cancer Research.

After the pandemic, we reformed and, as Alan Macland is no longer waiting, engaged another local author – in this case Alan Goodchild – to write some golf-themed murder mysteries which we performed at local golf clubs, once again for their selected charities.

With Alan and Mandy Macland’s blessing and keeping charity fundraising as our rasion d’etre, we are now in rehearsal for two one act comedies by yet another Alan-Ayckbourn of West End and Scarborough fame, Mother Figure and Between Mouthfuls.

We are looking forward to welcoming audiences to Shackleford’s charming Village Hall on July 26th and 27th. On this occasion we are raising funds for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, in particular for their rebuilding project.

Tickets can be booked through the website Ticket-Office at £16 each to include a glass of Prosecco and cheese and biscuits in the interval.

It will be most enjoyable and entertaining evening. We look forward to welcoming you.

Ian Wilson-Soppitt

Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice rebuild

The purpose-built hospice will be larger and better equipped than the building it will replace. It will have a specialist 18 bedded unit, to care for those with the most intensive medical and nursing needs and will also include a therapy suite and treatment rooms, an education suite, café, a rehabilitation suite and counselling rooms. All wrapped by beautiful gardens to improve wellbeing.

The state-of-the-art facility will offer inpatient and outpatient care and will support men and women, young and old, with cancer and other terminal and advanced illnesses as well as supporting local families and children through their grief and bereavement.

It will serve a community of over 500,000 people across Surrey and Hampshire. The hospice will not receive any government help to fund the £6million needed. Find details at Phyllis Tuckwell – Building a new hospice | Phyllis Tuckwell (pth.org.uk)

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Go on safari in Fleet

Round & About

Posted on

fundraiser

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!

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Jazz & fizz at High Clandon

Round & About

Posted on

fundraiser

Drink in the view and the music at Cherry Trees fundraiser at High Clandon

Join Cherry Trees charity at High Clandon for Jazz in the Vineyard on Saturday 8th June for a sparkling celebration of cool jazz.

Bring along a picnic or tuck into one of the stone-baked pizzas as you sip a complimentary glass of Gloriana Cuvée, sit back, drink in the views and chill listening to the sweet sounds of The Sue Richardson Quintet at either the matinee, 1pm start, or evening performance which begins at 6.15pm.

Your feet will tap as you celebrate the unsung heroes of jazz, led by Sue with the quintet’s feel-good show, Bird.

Feel free to take along anything else you may need to make your evening comfortable, such as tables, chairs and cushions. Why not upgrade your experience and pre-book one of the cabaret-style seats. Chairs cost £10 per person and will be spread around shared tables. This can be added to your booking when purchasing your tickets below. Tickets are £45 per person with all proceeds supporting the children and families who rely on Cherry Trees.

Cherry Trees helps to keep families together by providing home from home care for children with complex disabilities and a meaningful break for their families. Supporting children and young people up to the age of 19 with learning, physical and sensory impairments, Cherry Trees provides care after school, for a few hours, overnight or for a longer stay.

Book tickets for Jazz in Vineyard at Jazz in the Vineyard | Cherry Trees

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Budgie Smuggler Run for mental health

Round & About

Posted on

fundraiser

Well done to the 20 brave men who have bared (almost) all for an outdoor winter fundraiser in Virginia Water raising more than £2,500 (so far) for the Mental Health Foundation.

We’ve all been feeling the cold in recent weeks. So praise is due to the local runners who braved the chilly trails of Virginia Water Lake togged up in just a pair of running shoes and “budgie smuggler” briefs.

The Budgie Smuggler Run 2023 event was founded by Brian Turner, Josh Lappin, Paul Dash and Jordan McDowell from Hampshire and Surrey in 2021 when they wanted to raise money and awareness for charity.

Since then, others have joined in the January spectacle, with 20 runners taking on the 7km route last Sunday (29th January) raising more than £2,500 for the Mental Health Foundation.

Brian said: “It started off as a bit of a laugh, but with a serious aim to raise money and awareness for charities that are close to our hearts. It certainly does turn heads, and after the first run I was surprised to find more people than just me willing to strip down and run the 7km route in the middle of winter.”

The Budgie Smuggler Run is now set to become an annual mass participation event in aid of raising money and awareness for men’s mental health.

World record holder Darren Hardy, a charity fundraiser and former British Army officer who was medically discharged from the army with PTSD in 2017, joined this year’s event. “It’s such a great event and certainly turned heads,” he said. “Despite the frosty January start we all rose to the occasion and drew quite a crowd at the finish line. I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone wanting to do something a bit different for charity.”

“It certainly does turn heads”

Over the last two years, runners have raised £2.5k for BulliesOut, an anti-bullying charity, and £1.3k for Cancer Research UK.

To find out more and donate please visit 7k Budgie Smuggler Run 2023 (gofundme.com).

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

Showing support for Ukraine

Round & About

Posted on

fundraiser

Reading Biscuit Factory independent cinema is one of several across the country previewing Olga in aid of the DEC

Reading Biscuit Factory is joining the show of support for Ukraine with a series of preview charity screenings of Olga. 

Fifteen-year-old Ukrainian gymnast Olga, exiled in Switzerland, is trying to fit in with her new team in her new home. But as she prepares for the European Championship, the Ukrainian people stage a revolution. 

Olga is left a powerless, distant bystander as her mother, an investigative journalist, faces danger as she challenges a brutal regime. 

Can Olga reconcile her personal goals with the history unfolding in her homeland? 

A donation will be made from each ticket sold to support Ukraine via the Disasters Emergency Committee. 

Olga is showing on Sunday 20th March, 4pm; Tuesday 22nd March, 12.30pm & Thursday 24th March, 9pm. 

Book tickets at https://readingbiscuitfactory.co.uk/whats-on/olga 

Tell us your local news here

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter: