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Dragon Boat Race

Fun Event, Fund Raising, General Support

MNDA East Kent has entered a team into the Dragon Boat Race at Mote Park Maidstone on July 1st 2018.

Our team will comprise of up to 17 members and will row at least 3 x 1000 metre races. The team competed last year winning both races they entered and we look forward to greater success in 2018.

We will  be holding a support picnic for our members and members of the other Kent Groups. We hope there will be a great turn out to support us and enjoy a great picnic in we hope, glorious weather.

We hope to raise some funds from this day out and ask anyone who wishes to support our efforts to visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dragonboatrace-eastkent and donate what you can.

Huge thanks from the MNDA East Kent Dragon Boat Team and to all our supporters.

Tom Harling – London Landmarks Half Marathon

Fund Raising

Tom Harling ran  the London Landmarks Half Marathon,  raising £650 to be shared between the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) in East Kent and The Pilgrims Hospice.

In Tom’s words

“A good friend of mine, John Rawlins was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND)and this lead to him having to give up work around a year ago now. The disease is similar to the ‘Stephen Hawking thing’ and there is no cure.

………………….Tom Harling……….. John Rawlins………

John worked all his life on building sites as a digger driver from Westgate, and been a good friend of mine for the best part of 10 years. I ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon on 25th March 2018  to raise money to split 50/50 between the MNDA East Kent charity and The Pilgrims Hospice in memory of my friend John who was an absolute legend of a man who despite MND  managed to keep his sense of humour and comical outlook on life.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks for your donations and support.”

Tom

Some images of Tom on the run are shown below together with his certificate.

Tom Harling 11221
Tom Harling on right
Certificate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom has also been involved in organising the Thanet Loop Pub Collection.  Please see https://mnda-eastkent.org.uk/wordpress/?p=2498 for full details.

Huge thanks from East Kent MNDA to Tom Harling for running this half marathon and for  his fund raising support in the Thanet Loop Pub Collection.

Thanks to Jackie and The Wrotham Arms

Thanks

The Wrotham Arms has raised almost £6000 since the start of 2015.

This money has been raised by a regular flow of events including the annual New Years Party, quizzes and the collection box.

East Kent MNDA would like to thank Jackie the manager of  the Wrotham Arms, her sister Tracey and all the staff who work at the Wrotham Arms for their support over the years.

We would also like to thank Kenn Wards for organising the New Year Wired music sessions and all the musicians who have given so freely of their time to support MNDA.

Thanks also to Fairholt Rock Band and Kenn Wards for sales of their CDs which have contributed.

Quiz Masters quiz masters Geoff and Debbie Foreman have been brilliant, many many thanks.

Lastly but by no means least we would like to thank the customers of the Wrotham Arms for their continuing support and generosity.

East Kent MNDA is truly grateful to all of you. Thank you very much

Thank you Wealden Business Group.

Awareness, Fun Event, Fund Raising, Thanks

The Wealden Business Group have supported MNDA East Kent throughout the past 2 years, organising 3 major fundraisers, as well as weekly collections.

More than 60 people attended a race night in the Little Silver Hotel.  This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and raised a considerable sum for MNDA in East Kent.

A Murder Mystery Evening at Little Silver Country Hotel in Tenterden. The case was The Curse of the Willoughby Diamond. The evening started with champagne followed by an excellent 3 course meal to die for!! During the meal the actors presenting the murder mystery developed the plot of the murder and murder w

Clive Hudson MNDA – Martin Tickner WBG

as indeed committed.

The  Black Tie dinner and charity auction held at The Little Silver Country Hotel, Tenterden on Saturday (17 March) raised more than £4,000.  The event, which included a fizz reception, auction of promises and disco was in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.  The dinner marked the culmination of two years of fundraising for MNDA by the Wealden Business Group.

The grand sum raised by these events was  £10,579.81 which was presented to Clive Hudson, Chairman of MNDA East Kent Group on April 18th, by Martin Tickner.

MNDA East Kent would like to thank the members of Wealden Business Group for  their generosity and support.

 

Raise funds for MNDA East Kent when shopping online

Fund Raising

Did you know that you can support MNDA East Kent by shopping online?

Every time you shop online via Easyfundraising.org.uk at one of the 3,300 retailers including John Lewis, Aviva, Sainsbury’s and Booking.com, a donation will be made to MNDA East Kent, and it won’t cost you a penny extra.

Easyfundraising.com is a simple to raise funds for MNDA.  If you buy anything on line, you can do so via Easyfundraising.org.uk and raise a small percentage of each sale for MNDA.

There is no cost to you and no effort other than going to Easyfundraising.org.uk before shopping, once there you chooses your retailer and for any purchase you make MNDA will receive a small donation.

In the last year we have almost £200 from Easyfundraising.org.uk, from just half a dozen members, we are looking to increase our members using Easyfundraising.org.uk into several dozen which should enable us to raise at least £1000 each year for no cost and minimal effort, just remembering to go to Easyfundraising.org.uk first.

Follow this link https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/mndaeastkent/ sign up to support MNDA then just remember to always shop via the Easyfundraising.org.uk website.

Get shopping – your donations will be collected by easyfundraising and automatically sent to MNDA East Kent. It couldn’t be easier!

There are no catches or hidden charges and MNDA East Kent will be really grateful for your donations.

Thank you for your support.

Pearson Whiffen 5-a-side Football Competition

Awareness, Fun Event, Fund Raising, General Support

Kent Company Pearson Whiffen Recruitment are running a 5 a side Football tournament on Saturday 2nd June, starting at 8.30.  All proceeds from the day will be shared by the Kent Branches of MNDA.

To enter a team please contact Rob at  rob@pearsonwhiffen.co.uk 

We are looking forward to a fabulous day attending this event and hope to see many of our supporters on the day.

Grateful thanks to Pearson Whiffen Recruitment Ltd. for selecting MNDA to be the charity to benefit from this competition.

Spring Lunch 2018 – 28th April

Fun Event, General Support

Our Spring Lunch will be held at The Yarrow Hotel, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs on Saturday 28th April starting at 12 noon.

This will be our 5th Spring Lunch and we expect it to as enjoyable as previous years.

The cost is £13.50 for a 3 course meal.  People living with MND and their carers come as our guests without charge.

You can download a copy of the booking form here http://mnda-eastkent.org.uk/pdffiles/SupportLunch2018.pdf 

We look forward to receiving your booking and to seeing you on the day.


Thanet Loop Pub Collections – Easter Saturday 31st March

Awareness, Fun Event, Fund Raising

Some years ago a group of bus drivers on the Loop (for those not from Thanet, the Loop is circular bus route around Thanet), noticed that there were many great pubs on the route and it was decided by the group of young men that it would be great to visit each one.

It started as a fun event but soon morphed in a charity fund raising event.  Over the years this group of young men have raised many thousands of pounds for local charities, including Pilgrims Hospice, Beach within Reach and Caring for Connor amongst others.

John Rawlins

One of the regular travellers was John Rawlins, who sadly died of Motor Neurone Disease earlier this year.  The group has decided to raise funds for MNDA in East Kent in memory of their great friend.

This year the journey started and ended at Weatherspoon’s in Ramsgate and collectors travelled by the Loop to Westwood Cross on to Margate, round to Broadstairs, then on to Ramsgate stopping at over 20 hostelries on the route.

Pubs and customers gave generously to the group as they travelled around in  fancy dress. The fantastic sum of £578.51 was collected and this will be used to support people living with MND in East Kent.

MND is an incurable disease which kills 6 people every week, and life expectancy after diagnosis is usually short, so there is a great need for urgent support for anyone diagnosed with this awful disease.

The MND Association in East Kent would like to thank all the collectors for their generosity of time and for the fabulous fancy dress.  We would also like to thank all the pubs visited and all the customers who gave so generously.  Thank you all very much.

Saltwood Run Boxing Day 2017

Fun Event, Fund Raising

Over 1200 runners turned out on a bright but cold day, for the annual Saltwood Boxing Day Run.  This is a record number.

Jim and Astra West’s granddaughter Maisie Davies ran and Jim and Astra collected £83.83 in a bucket collection.

Maisie Davis

Thanks to Maisie for running and completing the course.

Astra West, Maisie Davis and Jim West

Jim West collected a cheque for  £2750 from Greg Boarman the Saltwood Run Organiser and a cheque of £250 from Folkestone  Channel Rotary.

Greg Boarman and Peter Godden present cheques to Jim West (MNDA) and Chris Taylor (SERV)

Huge thanks Jim Boarman, Folkestone Channel Rotary and all the runners who have made such a huge contribution to MNDA East Kent over many years.

Thanks also to Jim and Astra West for the days collection and to their Granddaughter Maisie for running.

 

 

Accept the things you cannot change

Awareness, Carer's Corner

Oh – It can be such a nuisance, and so frustrating too!
These things I took for granted, but now find hard to do.
Like putting on a shirt, sweater or a tie,
I have to call upon my wife no matter how I try.
D.I.Y. now a thing of the past
Even those simplest of tasks-
Like raising a hammer to strike a nail,
Sounds so simple, yet I fail.
Muscles refuse all my demands,
My neurones are in sole command!
And they in turn are burning out:
Motor Neurone if you’re in doubt.
This disease is reasonably rare
And why I need such help and care
But the other day, I felt quite grand,
Read on and you will understand.
At the hospital, the other day
I saw a chap in a far worse way
With tubes, pipes and drips galore
His age? Probably thirty four!
Lying in his hospital bed,
Doctors, nurses, one shook his head.
Me? Well I was exit bound.
So when you’re feeling down and blue
Remember those worse off than you
Accept the things you cannot change
And cope with those within your range

Written by James Peel