It's about this time every year that the whole Rapid Welding/RentArc family is drafted in to putting forward nominations for the chosen charity for which we aim to raise money; it could be any cause, and all suggestions are welcomed.
In 2016, the charity with the most nominations was the very worthwhile Guide Dogs for the Blind Portsmouth & District. We ran several fundraising events, housed a life size Guide Dog in the office for a year - said doggy was very affectionately named Penny and became Scarlet's best bud, and we even had two incredible individuals who shall not remain nameless - Karen & Charlotte, run 10k for this fantastic cause, even managing to raise £559.00 through Just Giving in the process! (Read about our 10k super girls HERE).
There are a number of volunteer fundraising branches of Guide Dogs nationwide. Our local branch is Portsmouth & District, and their Treasurer, Denise Allen, recently popped in to the office for a welcome visit and also to retrieve "Penny" after our year of fundraising. Denise and others in the Portsmouth Branch also supported us throughout the year in various ways, with a visit from a Guide Dog and Puppy - which as you can imagine brought the office to a stand still, and they even raced alongside Karen & Charlotte in the 10k - albeit Denise & co were wearing a dog suit!
"Rapid Welding's support during 2016 has been phenomenal, and we are so grateful to all the staff and management for their time and efforts. Guide Dogs for the Blind do not receive any Central or Local Government funding to help provide their iconic Guide Dogs and other supporting mobility services, so it is only with the amazing support of companies and individuals undertaking group and individual fundraising campaigns, collections, and sporting challenges such as these, that we can ensure our pledge to provide every visually impaired person with support for as long as they require and request it. Every Guide Dog costs in the region of £55k throughout its training and working life, and the charity is committed to continue to provide support to their current Guide Dog Owners and extend the provision in the future. It could not be done without the unfailing support of its volunteer body of puppy walkers, boarders, fundraisers and campaigners, nor the tremendous support of companies such as Rapid Welding."
Denise Allen
If you have a few moments, please do follow this link to the Guide Dogs for the Blind website to show your support and read about the fantastic work this charity does - www.guidedogs.org.uk
£1024.46 - Yes, that’s what we raised in 2016 for Guide Dogs for the Blind, so here's a huge thank you and well done to everyone - especially Karen & Charlotte!
WHICH BRINGS US TO 2017!
This year we once again welcomed suggestions for our chosen charity, and the final vote was counted and verified .....
Our most voted for charity this year is Abby's Heroes, a small and local charity aimed at helping children and their families, including bereaved families, by offering financial and practical support.
"The aim of the charity (Abby's Heroes) is to help and support children and their families, including bereaved families, who come under the care of the Piam Brown Ward at Southampton General hospital. The catchment for this ward covers the south of England as it is a centre of excellence for children’s oncology. We aim to offer financial and practical help and importantly, the opportunity to make lasting memories for the children and their families.
As a family that has passed through this ward, we are acutely aware of what a traumatic and frightening journey it can be for both the child and their families. The child’s life is completely taken over by the diagnosis of childhood cancer and their families worlds are thrown into utter chaos and panic as they watch their child go through the rigours of treatment.
The realty of the future these families face includes months or years of treatment, families are often separated for long periods, as parents need to stay with the child, but also may have siblings that need looking after as well. Jobs are put on hold and inevitably financial implications start to hit home, this puts a massive strain on families as normal life ceases to exist.
Abby’s heroes has been set up entirely with this in mind. Practical help will be given – financial grants to help people through difficult time. Bereaved families may be given grants to help give parents time to grieve. Days out and fun memory-making grants will also be given, which will allow the families a chance to do something together."
Abby's Heroes
It was a very close call between the nominations (only two votes between the top two!), but I think we can all agree Abby's Heroes is a very worthwhile charity to support this year, and we look forward to hearing about some events we can join in with to raise funds for this incredibly important cause.
Let’s see what we can do for Abby’s Heroes in 2017.
Abby's Heroes.
