Chelsea football fans pedal across East Anglia to give nook appeal £5,200 boost
A group of football fans have again shown their charitable sides by riding over 200 miles across East Anglia to raise £5,200 for the nook appeal.
Adam Robinson, from Wymondham, Grahame Bolton and daughter Charlotte, from Bungay, Chris Chapman, Sandeep Uppal and Owen Thomas, all from Norwich, and Gary Williams, from Thetford, took part in Ride for Life, an event organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), in July.
All are members of Eastern Blues, the official Chelsea supporters club for Norfolk and Suffolk. They were supported in their efforts by SEN Legal, Bar 11, Empower Services and Grahame R Bolton.
EACH generated over £30,000 in total from Ride for Life, with 26 cyclists taking part in the three-day challenge.
Among those who made friends with the Eastern Blues group along the way was Andrew Goodson, from Messing in Essex, whose son William, two, receives care from The Treehouse, EACH’s hospice in Ipswich.
Andrew, along with William and wife Emma, recently joined Eastern Blues at The Treehouse for a cheque presentation. The Chelsea fans also brought along personalised home and away kits for William.
Emma said: “Thank you to everyone at Eastern Blues. We had a lovely visit to The Treehouse and it was the perfect end to our recent time off work.”
Adam, Eastern Blues Chair, said: “It has been a pleasure to raise money for such a worthy cause and to see the fantastic work EACH undertakes. A massive thank you to every person who donated, helping us reach this fantastic amount. Days like today make all the training worthwhile.”
Last year, 20 Eastern Blues members climbed Mt Snowdon in Wales, raising £2,679.64 for the nook appeal.
Tim Jenkins, EACH Norfolk Community Fundraiser, said: “Members of Eastern Blues have gone to great lengths to raise money for the nook appeal and are now planning a 24-hour walkathon for next year. We’re delighted to be benefiting from such dedicated supporters. It’s also been lovely seeing them form a bond with Andrew, Emma and William.”
For more information about the nook appeal, go to www.each.org.uk/the-nook.
Abseil down Norwich’s iconic Forum building raises over £10,000 for EACH
Charitable folk with a head for heights have abseiled down Norwich’s iconic Millennium building The Forum to raise £10,000.
A total of 98 courageous individuals, ranging in age from 12 to 78, took the 50ft (15m) plunge in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Emma Benstead, EACH Norfolk Events Fundraiser, said: “We were so excited to hold our abseil at the iconic Forum building for the second year running and were overwhelmed by how many participants took part! They included a lady celebrating her 70th birthday and a girl her 16th.
“Thanks to our supporters we’ve been able to raise £10,000, with sponsorship money still coming in. This is fantastic for an organisation that relies so heavily on fundraising and donations.
“We’d like to thank all those who made the brave step backwards and all those generous people who sponsored them to do it. We’re thrilled at everyone’s support.”
The Forum is home to the BBC’s regional headquarters as well as the busiest public library in the country. It holds a range of free community events.
EACH’s abseil was sponsored by Roarr! Dinosaur Adventure and supported by Sportspark, meaning all money raised will help EACH continue caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, and supporting their families.
Those keen to register their interest for similar fundraising events are urged to call EACH’s Norfolk fundraising team on 01953 666767 or email norfolk@each.org.uk.
