Charity News


Industry rallies behind ‘blooming’


good cause Businesses from across the building and DIY industry are coming together to back a charity runner in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon. Mike Pollard, 62, national sales


manager at ForgeFix, will take part in the 2017 event on Sunday 23rd April in order to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society. Mike is aiming to complete the 26


miles and 385 yard course in fancy dress costume wearing a giant forget-me-not flower. This flower has long been associated with dementia and treasured memories. It also forms an integral part of Alzheimer’s Society’s logo. Each of the petals on Mike’s costume has been sponsored by a different business or brand. These sponsors include Toolbank, DEWALT, Wera, Broadfix, Roughneck and BIZ Power Tools. Additional sponsors include Andyfreight (whose haulage, warehousing and


distribution services are widely used by the building and DIY industry), specialist insurance brokers, P B Curran, and OGL Computer - a leading provider of IT solutions to businesses in the trade sector. Naturally, ForgeFix is also sponsoring Mike. Running the London Marathon is just the latest challenge tackled by Mike as he


continues to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society and awareness of the Society’s important work. In late 2016, he completed a sponsored coast-to-coast bike ride for the charity, riding 140 miles from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Tynemouth in Tyne and Wear. Mike’s motivation comes from his own firsthand experiences of the effects of


dementia. His long-term partner Julie was diagnosed with young onset dementia five


years ago at 55. She can no longer drive, read or write, and requires 24-hour care. Individuals and organisations looking to back his marathon efforts can do so by visiting his JustGiving page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Mike-Pollard4


Deserving veterans enjoy Dame Vera tribute


thanks to £10,000 donation Over 200 veterans, along with their carers and partners, enjoyed a ‘night to remember’ when they attended 100: A Tribute to Dame Vera Lynn, thanks to a £10,000 donation made by civils and drainage solutions supplier Keyline. The star-studded show,


which took place on Saturday 18th March at the iconic London Palladium and was attended by Her Majesty, the Queen, saw celebrities come together to tell the story of Dame Vera Lynn’s incredible career. The audience were treated to an array of performances from celebrities including Aled Jones, Bradley Walsh, Russell Watson, Alexander Armstrong and Hayley Westenra. The collection of tickets donated by Keyline, funds of which benefited Dame


Vera’s namesake legacy charity – the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity, which helps children under five with cerebral palsy - were distributed to the veterans, many of whom suffer with disabilities as a result of wounds they suffered whilst serving their country, via The Taxi Charity for Military Veterans and The Not Forgotten Association. One of the deserving veterans who received a ticket, and was in the audience,


was 93-year-old Bill Gladden from Welling. Bill joined the army at 18 and served in the 6th Airborne Division at the Normandy landings. 12 days after the invasion, Bill received serious injuries to his left ankle and was to spend the rest of the war recovering in hospital until he was discharged in 1947. Bill said: “Vera was a marvellous singer. She once sang to us up at Salisbury


Plain and I could never get her songs out of my mind. Since the show I’ve been singing ‘we’ll meet again’ over and over – I love that song. “It was a wonderful show and beautifully presented. I shall never forget it.


Thank you Keyline for our tickets.” Instead of being sent gifts and cards for her 100th birthday, Dame Vera is asking


instead for donations to be made to her charity - the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity. To make a donation please visit www.dvlcc.org.uk.


Calling All Superheroes! Our Annual Superhero Mission is Heading for London so now is your chance to become a real life Charity Hero for Skyline and the Rainy Day Trust! Over a thousand superheroes will descend on Regent’s Park in a bid to make the UK a more charitable place to live. On Sunday 14th May, the real-life heroes will


embark on 5km and 10km fun runs to raise thousands of pounds for hundreds of extraordinary charities across the country like Rainy Day Trust! The annual Do it for Charity Superhero Run will see these charity heroes join forces for the greater good with every real-life superhero to take place in Sunday’s run


receiving a FREE costume so they can be cape-ready in no time! Rainy Day Trust supports people who are struggling to survive within the home improvement industry. Redundancy, ill health or bereavement can have a massive


impact on peoples’ lives and we are here to help. The money raised from this year’s Superhero Run will go towards providing financial support to those who just can’t make ends meet. Skyline and Do it for Charity co-founder Dominic Carolan said: “The Superhero Run has, to date, helped raise millions of pounds for charity. As 5km and 10km fun


runs, anybody can join in and complete the course whilst doing something invaluable for a great number of fantastic causes. So many UK charities depend solely on the fundraising efforts of the public and so it’s quite fitting that some of those actual superheroes get to dress up as such for this fun run.” Rainy Day Trust CEO Bryan Clover added: “The people that support us in our work are all real heroes. Doing this run will help us meet the needs of those that can’t


put food on the table or heat their homes. In 21st century Britain, we shouldn’t have to think that way, but sadly we do. We are hugely grateful to our runners for supporting us” Know A Superhero? Other wannabe Superheroes can support the Rainy Day Trust in this year’s Superhero Run by registering here: www.doitforcharity.com/superhero Every aspiring Superhero to take


part in the Superhero Run will receive a free costume. Rainy Day Trust CONTACT: Bryan Clover 0121 237 1101 bryan@rainydaytrust.org.uk


16 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE www.toolbusiness.co.uk


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