WE'RE SUPPORTING CHELTENHAM OPEN DOOR

As I'm not local to Cheltenham, I asked The Daffodil to nominate a local charity for us to support and they suggested Cheltenham Open Door.

I did a bit of research and chatted to some of the volunteers there and I'm really impressed by what they do and hope our contribution will help in a small way.  £1 of every £2 entry fee will go direct to the charity.

They don't just help the homeless but a myriad of people with different social needs but all are vulnerable, disadvantaged or lonely.  The charity, which was founded in 1992 by Flip Thornett-Roston and initially based at Grosvenor Hall, works to relieve poverty, hardship and social or emotional distress.  In 1988 the charity moved into 39 Grosvenor Street, where they're now open on all year round on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10.30 am to 1.00 pm serving tea, coffee and a hot meal at lunchtime.  They also open on Sundays from 9.45 to 11.45 to serve a packed lunch takeaway. 

At Christmas they open as a 24 hour shelter and move to St Luke's Hall, where they're open from lunchtime on the 24th, Christmas Eve, through to after lunch on the 27th.

Open Door are a drop-in centre where everyone is welcome and they don't judge or ask questions.  They deal with people with mental health issues, eviction problems and any social needs people have.  They have shower facilities, an area where people can get clothes and food stores distributing food parcels.  They also link to other organisations, so can point people in the right direction for where they need help, including Cheltenham Housing Aid, Turning Point, CCP, meaning they can help individuals find help where they need it.

Everyone working at Open Door are volunteers, working on different shifts.  They cater for about 50 people a day and have shifts of 3 or 4 each day.  They are totally reliant on voluntary donations and, if you want to help they always need donations of soft food, clothes, bedding, tents, sleeping bags and anything they can pass on to people needing help. 

If you want to donate, volunteer or help in some other way, why not call them on: 01242 577418.

Bristol Vintage and the Alzheimer’s Society

There's something a little different about this years' Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair…

This year we're fundraising for a very important cause.

Bristol Vintage's own Ali Cook tells us a bit more: 

'This year I have decided to run a prize raffle and my exhibitors, the Zoo and some other great local companies have all very generously donated prizes for the event.

The reason is that I wanted to support a charity very close to my heart – the Alzheimer’s Society.  They’re a fantastic organisation, which works hard to help people suffering from dementia through fundraising, volunteers and research on the cause, cure, care and prevention of this disease.  Three of the team working at the Fair this year are volunteers for the Society.

My Gran suffered from dementia at the end of her life and sadly, my wonderful Mum was similarly diagnosed two years ago.  As a family, we are living through learning to adapt to Mum’s changing perception and the loss of some of her precious memories and, therefore, a little bit of herself.  It’s hard, particularly for her and my Dad, but we’ve got some fantastic support from nurses, doctors and local support groups and the Alzheimer’s Society is an invaluable resource for information and support to help us cope.

I love organising the fair and hope it’s a fabulous day for all those of you who visit and who exhibit and thank you all for helping me support this really great cause by attending or donating prizes.'

Ali x

Rachael Sweet, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer's Society said:

'We're delighted that Ali has chosen to support us at the Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair. There are over 7,000 people living with dementia in Bristol and South Gloucestershire and our vital work in the community could not continue without donations from local fundraisers such as Ali. Money raised from events such as this enables us to help people live well with dementia today while researching a cure for tomorrow.'

Find out more about how you can fundraise for the society here, follow their great work on Facebook and Twitter and come and visit our Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair on March 16th. You'll be supporting a brilliant cause and did we mention there's some great prizes on offer?