Bradford on Avon ‘Freedom from Poverty Week’
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FREEDOM FROM POVERTY WEEK UPDATE
Business Networking Event
Wed 2nd July 2008
The Swan Hotel was the venue for our Business Networking Event as part of our Freedom from Poverty week.
Robin Hood Ministries works with business partners to the benefit of both the company and the charity and we gathered with friends old and new. The evening started with half an hour of networking and then Bill Huxley, Managing Trustee, introduced Val his wife to give a presentation on the work of the charity. Joy Fraser followed on with a talk on how a business partnership can work. Graham Massey, from ‘thehouse’ branding agency in Bath, then spoke from the heart of how he first became involved with Robin Hood Ministries and how an awareness trip to Romania impacted him deeply. Graham is a long term friend of Robin Hood Ministries and he and his staff continue to support us.
After the talks there was more time for networking and plenty of cheese and wine. Several of those present expressed an interest of working with Robin Hood Ministries in the future. Any businesses wanting to know more about business partnerships should contact Joy fraser joy@robinhoodministries.org
Fun Day in Bradford on Avon
Saturday 28th June 2008
After a week of variable weather the day dawned bright and sunny although a little windy. We had stood in Westbury Gardens earlier in the week and prayed for a fine day even though the forecast was poor, and our prayers were answered.
Everyone began to arrive and suddenly the gardens were transformed into a small village with gazebos and stalls popping up. West View Nursery provided activities for the children including jousting, face painting and making a helmet and shield. The stall holders arrived one by one and the Children’s Centre set up their information stand. The Fat Fowl restaurant arrived to barbecue the food and sell ice cream and the Robin Hood staff set up their side shows and their presentation stand. Then people began to arrive and the real fun started.
Organiser Joy Fraser braved the stocks for the Bath Chronicle photographer and later in the day children in fancy dress arrived for the Mayor of Bradford on Avon, Cllr Paul Skidmore, to judge the competition. The ‘hook a duck’ game and the tombola proved very popular with the children and the home made cake stall was a favourite of the adults.
Then just as suddenly everything was packed away and the gardens were peaceful once more. Everyone at Robin Hood Ministries would like to thank all who helped in any way. It was a great day and we made new friends amongst the townsfolk of Bradford on Avon- and maybe we will do it all again next year. See you there.
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Barndance
Robin Hood Ministries Barn Dance, Saturday 21st June 2008
What a great night we had in spite of the weather. We had great fun setting up the barn and we thank Michael and Jane Brake for allowing us to use it. Joy and Val turned electricians as they installed extra lights. More help arrived in the afternoon in the form of the Ginny and her crew from the Facelift building company who set up tables, help decorate the barn and swept up the yard. The evening arrived looking grey and damp but it did not dampen the spirits of those who came. We ‘stripped the willow’ and ‘swung our partners’, dancing to the wonderful Packhorse Band who entertained us magnificently. The Hog Roast and desserts were lovely and we all went back for seconds. The raffle raised well over £150 and altogether about £880.00 will go towards the work of our projects.
Thanks go to all our supporters, sponsors, volunteers and all those who braved the weather to be there.
The clean up begins, first with sweeping out the barn and then electrics to put up!! Thomas receives a serenade from the band
All dressed up and ready for action. The jigging begins whilst others watch on.
Time to take a breather. Well just enough before we start again!
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Bath to Paris cycling challenge lives up to its name!
Helen Baines (middle) and friends arrive at the Eiffel Tower
Helen Baines' most recent fundraising event proved to be the challenge she lives for. Previously the University of Bath graduate who lives in Oldfield Park has run in the Bath Half Marathon and done a tandem parachute jump to raise money for charity. On Wednesday 2nd April she set out to travel the distance between Bath and Paris by bicycle with no back up after a last minute change of plan. "Our support driver had to back out because of illness and so I had to think quickly how to carry enough gear for any situation and change the transport and accommodation plans. For me it just added another element of challenge to the ride and a greater sense of achievement!"
After being inspired by friends who had done an organised ride from London, Helen had organised the ride herself preferring to go from her home town and with the intention to raise more money for her chosen charity, Robin Hood Ministries.
"I didn't really know what to expect from the ride as I'd never done such a distance in the time I had planned for this. The route was very hilly and each night I was ready to sleep, sometimes even before the day's destination had been reached! There were many hard moments whether it was getting used to carrying the extra weight, tackling the hills or having to detour when the signs said no bicycles were allowed along the planned route. I certainly broke through mental and physical barriers to get there, I often had to remind myself that if it was easy then anyone would do it and it wouldn't be a challenge. At the same time I did manage to enjoy it especially when the sun was out, speeding through changing scenery and just the sense of achievement at the end of each day."
In all, the route was 47 miles longer than planned after detours and road restrictions on the way in to Paris. The ride ended after four days and 287 miles under the Eiffel Tower to a welcoming party of friends from London and Germany. “I was so tired I could hardly believe that I had actually done it so it was good to have friendly faces at the end. I was so happy that I would be able to say I had made it especially after overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 3 years ago and that the hard work was worth it in view of the sponsorship of over £1,120.00 I had gathered for my chosen charity"
Robin Hood Ministries is looking for cyclists who would like to take part in an organised London to Paris cycle ride from 10th – 14th September 2008.
The cyclists pay for their trip themselves and then raise sponsorship for the charity from their friends and family. If Helen’s achievement has inspired you to do something similar contact us on 01225 869325 or click here to show your interest
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ST PATRICK'S FUNDRAISING EVENING
A great evening was had by all when a fundraising evening was held by Darrell and Anthea Cocup at their home to celebrate St Patricks Day. There were over 50 attendees, all dressed in green and ready to party. People showed off their general knowledge skills (or not!) in answer to the Quiz that was hosted by Sonia Nicolls and the winners each won an Easter Egg. The raffle tickets sold like hot cakes and over £300.00 was raised on the tickets alone. RHM literature and posters were dotted around the walls and people were able to obtain knowledge of the work we do to support the projects we work with. One child was sponsored on the evening and others took leaflets away with them.
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BATH HALF MARATHON
It was cold, it was wet and it was windy - but did it stop us? No! Heroes, that's what we were. Getting up on dismal Sunday morning on 16th March 2008 to give the support to our runners in the Bath Half Marathon.
But who were the real heroes? The men and women that gave up their time to train in the run up to the Marathon and to raise money that will enable us to work with the projects, helping to release those who need it the most.
Below are the runners and their times (still waiting to hear from some) which as you can see, are very, very fit people. (I think it took that long for us to walk back to find our car!).
You all really do deserve a HUGE THANKS for all you have done to help us in our work to break the cycle of poverty.
Timings:
Justin Byron Davies: 1hr 42; Julian Taylor: 1hr 43; Jennifer Rennie: 1hr 55; Mike Jeffries 1hr 47; Jay Ruddock 1hr 35; Alison Jacobs: awaiting; Alison Boswell: 2hr 2; Dick Beath: 1 hr 45; Stuart Mallard: 1hr 51;
When all the funds are in, we will let you know how much has been raised.
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UPDATES
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
What a great evening we all had, and thank you to everyone who came along to enjoy a festive evening of big band music, comedy and gospel choir.
The GBH Big Band opened the evening with a wonderful selection of jazz numbers including a couple of Christmas favourites- White Christmas, and Let it Snow. Their soloists and vocalist entertained us magnificently. A short presentation for the charity followed and after the interval local comedian Fred Wedlock, who was also the shows compere, treated us to some rib tickling songs and jokes. The evening was rounded off with a powerful performance by the Bath Community Gospel Choir and the GASP Choir from the University of Bath. The 100 strong choir swayed and clapped their way through nine numbers and got the audience to their feet to join in the well known Christmas number 'Mary had a Baby'. People who paid to attend the pre-concert reception enjoyed wine and canapes to the music of the Blue Moon Band in the Ballroom at the Forum.
Over all a sum of just over £2000.00 was raised for the work of Robin Hood Ministries and our thanks goes to Peter Hirsch of Total Bathrooms and the Art of Bathrooms for their generous sponsorship of the event.
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PAINT FOR POVERTY EVENT
(Place your cursor over each picture to read the storyboard of how the evening progressed).
Scan below to see how local businesses helped in the build up over the week to the Paint 4 Poverty Auction and to see the final amount raised
PAINT FOR POVERTY AUCTION
(OCT 07)
The following were events leading up to the main Paint4Poverty Auction on Saturday October 13th
Bloomberg
8th August 2007
Paint4 Poverty was the brainchild of Simon and Annette Eason from the Atworth based fine arts publishing house, Prime Arts. Along with their son Ben and members of staff at the company they contacted all the celebrities and provided them with the canvas and paints to produce a picture to be auctioned off at the Guildhall in Bath on 13th October 2007.Sixty celebrities returned their canvases and then all the planning for the main auction swung into action.
Part of the build up to the main event was a press launch held at Bloomberg's prestigious building in Finsbury Square London on 8th August 2007. Members of several National papers and magazines attended along with supporters of Robin Hood Ministries and all the canvases were on display. Two of our celebrity artists attended, Kevin Eldon, a comedy actor who has played in TV shows including 'I'm Alan Partridge', 'Fist of Fun' and 'Nighty Night', and Michael Bond creator of the Paddington Bear stories.
We are very grateful to Bloomberg for the use of their facilities and to Jane Phillips in particular who helped with all the arrangements.
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Stubbs Rich Business Networking Event
3rd October 2007
On Wednesday 3rd October Prime Arts and Robin Hood Ministries held a Business Networking Evening hosted at the Executive Offices of Stubbs Rich Architects in the centre of Bath. Bath's MP Don Foster opened the event and the evening was well attended by local businesses who were able to relax and network over a glass of wine with canapes donated by Waitrose Limited. The evening was supported with some superb raffle prizes donated by Bijou Jewellery, Great Western Wine and Brandy Classics. www.stubbsrich.co
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Everybody to Paint4Poverty
All week at Bath Abbey
The Celebrity Art Canvases were on display in the Abbey for the week before the auction in the Guildhall. Many visitors to the Abbey stopped to view the paintings and to look at the Robin Hood Ministries stand. The public had the opportunity to let their creative juices flow as the Abbey allowed us to set up easels in St Alphege's Chapel for Everyone to Paint4Poverty. With local artists in attendance to oversee the painting, several remarkable canvases were produced and put up for sale in the Abbey, One even sold before the paint was dry and another was produced by a tourist from the USA who was leaving the city the next day. Also on display were the pictures of Wallace and Grommit coloured in by school children from around the area and quite a stunning show they made. Saturday morning saw the grand prize giving for the children who were winners and who took away their framed pictures and a Paddington Bear prize. Our grateful thanks go to the Abbey staff for making us so welcome for the week.
(We are still receiving donated canvasses and we are extremely grateful for them. We plan to do some kind of Auction or sale in November as potential Christmas gifts) www.bathabbey.org
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The Corridor
Thursday 11th October
Two of our long term supporters, Gary Naylor of Eclipse Creative Design and Melanie Higgins of Bijou Jewellery, organised a fun event in the Corridor on Thursday 11th October. All week long businesses in The Corridor helped to raise funds for Paint4Poverty by holding collecting tins in their shops and asking for donations from their customers.
On Thursday Gary set up a series of images in The Corridor, theme 'Opposites'. There were images of poverty on one side and images of cartoons on the other. During the day and into the evening the atmosphere was enhanced with buskers, drummers, and street theatre and great fun was had by all.
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Abbey Courtyard
Saturday 13th October a.m
On Saturday 13th October there was a fundraising event in the Abbey Courtyard. We attempted to make a penny mile by laying pennies in four trails across the paving stomes. We were wonderfully assited by a certain Uncle Bobtail, an elderly gentleman(?!!) with a stick who was in great competition with Mark Hannan, our Chair of Trustees, to build the longest trail. All ages joined in and there were balloons and small cuddly owls to give away to the children. A great fun filled way to raise money for Robin Hood Ministries.
Total raised from the sale of the paintings and events leading up to the Auction was £36,000.
Thank you to all those involved and who supported the event.
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JAN MCBRIDE
Jan, a relative of a Robin Hood Ministries member of staff, chose to run the Half Marathon in the Experian Robin Hood Festival of Running on the 16th September. She updates us below.
In total there were about 12,000 running and Jan managed to came in at number 5288 in the half marathon, of which there was 6503, so not quite last. The gun time (which is when everyone starts) was 2 hrs 27 mins 34 seconds and the chip time (which is when I crossed the starting line) was 2hrs 21mins 42 secs. My aim was to run in 2.30
We were lucky with the weather as the temperature was good, not too hot, but not too cold either, a little bit of sun but more clouds which helped from getting too hot. Alll the training seemed to come together and I didn’t find it too much of a slog but had had enough by the time I finished. The only off putting moment was at about 3.5 miles when the first place chap went past. Plenty of people calling encouragement and plenty of runners so you were never on your own. Ached a little for the next 2 days, but only slightly and had a lovely massage on the Tuesday which helped a lot.
For Jan's achievements she has raised the grand sum of £267.00. Well done Jan and thank you!
If you know Jan but missed her sponsor list and you would like to donate to the work of Robin Hood Ministries, please click this link Donate Online
Final Results of
BATH HALF MARATHON 2007
The grand total raised from the Bath Half Marathon for Robin Hood Ministries was £7,129.01. A huge thank you to the runners for their effort in running and their friends and families for sponsoring them.
YOU CAN HELP CHANGE LIVES
Do you have a fundraising idea that you would like to organise? Don't know how to start? Look no further, call us on 01225 869325 and we'll direct you to the right person!
There are many ways to get involved with Robin Hood Ministries, one of these is to hold an event or do an activity to raise funds. This could be a great team building activity or promotion opportunity for your business or a new motivation to complete a challenge.
If you are interested in getting involved, there is a sponsorship form and a list of suggested fundraising activities, available via the links at the bottom of this page or you could just email us at info@robinhoodministries to let us know what you want to do.
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Sponsor form (Word format) |
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Sponsor form (PDF format) |
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Fundraising ideas list (PDF format) |
Download our sponsor form