Weymouth and Portland Friends of Julia's House
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The Weymouth & Portland Friends are urgently looking for a volunteer to join their committee as the Events' Coordinator - could you give some of your free time to this very worthwhile and rewarding role?
If you would like to find out more, please contact Brenda Bonwell on 01305-783807.
W&P News (updated 24 August 2008)
The
Weymouth&
Portland Friends of Julia's House Halfway through 2008
What I hadn't anticipated are the heartening and uplifting experiences I would receive in return and how often my faith in the fundamental goodness of human nature would be restored. It has never ceased to amaze me the number of big-hearted, generous people I come across who, without prompting, do their bit to help in the on-going battle to raise funds for Julia's House in whatever way they feel they can, from organising coffee mornings, fetes and sponsorship events to keeping a collecting tin at home or encouraging the groups they belong to contribute and their workplaces to nominate Julia's House as their dedicated charity for 2008.
One of the most heart-warming stories regarding Julia's House that I've heard recently concerns a little Portland girl, Sarah, only eight years of age, who suddenly turned up at the Julia's House Stall at the Portland Steam Fair in July and handed our Chairman, Brenda Bonwell, an old biscuit tin containing £272. Apparently Sarah had wanted to do something to help local children less fortunate than herself and had hit upon the idea of running a stall at last year's Gooseberry Fare, selling toys and clothes that she had outgrown. This in turn encouraged other members of her family to become involved, her sister contributing her Barbie collection, her grandparents donating a variety of articles, her dad canvassing work colleagues and mum making sure that the whole family were well supplied with hot dogs on the day. Truly inspiring how one little girl's care and humanity could spark off a chain of events and achieve such a remarkable result!
The heartfelt thanks of the committee of the Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House go out to Sarah and her family and also to all the numerous extraordinarily generous and hard-working individuals, groups and organisations, who have helped to provide the continuing support that Julia's House requires in order to carry on with its desperately needed work. All your donations and help are very greatly appreciated. It now costs roughly £40 for every hour of respite care provided by Julia's House staff but what it means to the children and families receiving help is inestimable and often quite literally a life-line.
The committee themselves have been busy throughout the year, running merchandise and bric-a-brac stalls at local fetes, fairs, table-top sales and Weymouth Sea-front as well as organising street collections. In August we were fortunate enough to be allocated two Saturdays for collecting in Portland and Weymouth and once again these turned out to be highly successful - local people are truly kind-hearted and generous and it was uplifting to note that quite a few people came over specifically to put a donation in our tins when they saw that it was Julia's House that we were collecting for. One of our collectors was even given coffee and biscuits by the staff of Marks & Spencer when they detected him outside their doors! Also in Weymouth we were also very fortunate to have supporting us the magnificently refurbished music machine, kindly supplied by Mr Calvin Stone, adding to the ambiance as well as creating a great deal of interest from young and old alike.
With autumn just around the corner, the Friends have several fund-raising events planned. A new member of our group, Alison Marfell, with strong Portland connections, is planning to 'Jump for Julia', doing a tandem parachute jump on 6 September. She is hoping to raise £1000 and is not far off her target. If you would like to help her achieve it, please visit www.justgiving.com/alisonmarfell or come to the Red Triangle Fete at the top of Reforne on Portland where Julia's House will be running a stall from 10am - 4pm on 6 September.
Then on Wednesday 17 September by kind permission of Mr Peter Ledger there will be a Coffee Morning in aid of Julia's House at The Crow's Nest in Hope Square in Weymouth. Tickets are £2.50 for coffee and biscuits. Julia's House merchandise will be on sale and there will also be a raffle. Please do come along and enjoy a cup of coffee with us whilst supporting a very worthwhile cause.
The Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House are always delighted to welcome new members and meet at 7.30pmon the last Thursday of each month in the WI Hall in Gallwey Road, Wyke Regis. Please just come along or contact Brenda Bonwell on 01305-783807 for further information. She will also be delighted to give a talk about the work of Julia's House to your organisation. Further details can be found on the group's website by following the links on the main Julia's House site www. julias-house.org
When I first decided to support the amazing care that Julia's House provides for children with life-threatening illnesses throughout Dorset, my motives were quite mixed but, I would imagine, fairly usual - admiration for the staff of Julia's House, wanting to give something back to the local community (roughly 25% of the outreach care takes place in the Weymouth & Portland area), gratitude for my own healthy children and grandchildren, anger that there is virtually no central funding for children's hospices (unlike for adult hospices).
Beate Coward
24 August 2008
Sutton Poyntz Street Fair - 28 June 2008
Several stalwart volunteers from the Weymouth and Portland Friends had a busy day at the Street Fair in Sutton Poyntz on the outskirts of Weymouth promoting the work of Julia's House and raising funds by selling Julia's House merchandise and running a tombola.
Beate Coward
11 August 2008
Summer Update
The Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House are now well into their second year of fund-raising and have been greatly inspired and assisted in their efforts by the wonderful help that they are receiving from the local community. It is truly heart-warming the way local organisations and individuals come forward to make donations, run events or nominate Julia's House as their dedicated charity for 2008.
In addition to the organisations mentioned in my last report, the Committee of the Portland Steam and Vintage Show have pledged their support to Julia's House as their main beneficiary this year. The Weymouth & Portland Friends were thrilled to hear the news and delighted that Mick Mulley, Chairman of the Portland Steam Fair Committee, was able to come along to one of our recent meetings and outline plans for this year's event to be held at its usual venue at SouthwellParkover the weekend of 19-20 July. It is the tenth anniversary for this popular and prestigious event and, as well as the usual displays and attractions, for which the Portland Steam and Vintage Show has become justly famed, this year's innovation will be vintage bus rides round the top of the Island. Naturally the Weymouth & Portland Friends will be running a merchandise stall, so please come along and stock up on some attractive and useful items whilst enjoying all that there is to see and do at the Show.
Another boost to Friends' morale was the news that our new Portland Town Mayor, Sandi West, is nominating Julia's House as one of the charities she will be supporting during her mayoral year. This is especially pleasing as Sandi came along to our first Garden Party at Queen Anne's House last year during her term as Deputy Mayor and her vivacious, caring and interested presence helped to make the day the tremendous success that it was.
Also greatly appreciated have been the fundraising undertaken by a whole variety of groups such as the Sylvia Catholic Women, Weymouth & Portland Scout Group and Westham Methodist Church to name but a few. Sometimes the first that the Friends hear about it is when they are invited to collect a cheque! It truly restores your faith in human nature.
In the meantime, the Friends themselves have been busy throughout the spring, organising collections and running stalls at various events. One of the most successful and enjoyable recently was running the Plant Crèche at the annual Plant and Craft Fair in the beautiful grounds of Pennsylvania Castle, Portland. Our Chair is also in constant demand to give talks about the work of Julia's House to local groups and organisations - a task that she is only too happy to undertake.
Our summer season kicks off with our second Garden Party held courtesy of Mrs Margaret Dunlop in the lovely gardens of Queen Anne House in Fortuneswell on Saturday 7 June from11.00am - 4.00 pm. This year the Garden Party will be opened by Mr Mike Wise MBE, founding and current Chairman of Julia’s House, and Sandi West will be attending too, this time as our Town Mayor. The entry fee will be £2.50 for adults, which includes a cream tea; children are free with a free soft drink. There will be the usual range of stalls - Plants, Books and Videos, Bric a Brac, Tombola, Face Painting and of course, Julia's House Merchandise. Entertainment will be provided by the Royal Manor Arts College Jazz band and other local musicians. The Friends are keeping their fingers crossed that this second garden party will be as enjoyable and successful as the first.
If you would like to find out more about Julia's House or what the Weymouth & Portland Friends are doing, details can be found on this website.
As you can see, the Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House meet once a month and new volunteers are always welcome. If you're interested or would like any further information, please contact Brenda Bonwell on 01305-783807. Likewise, if you would like Brenda to give a talk about the work of Julia's House, please do not hesitate to contact her.
Beate Coward
23 May 2008
The
Pennsylvania Castle Plant & Craft Fair 10 May 2008
A tri-partite team from the Weymouth & Portland Friends had an excellent and most enjoyable day at the annual Plant and Craft Fair in the dream location of Pennsylvania Castle, Portland. It was certainly the ideal weather for it - not too hot, but warm enough, no wind and no rain. The crowds clearly thought so as well and thronged the numerous stalls and the castle grounds from 11am through until 4 pm.
The Weymouth & Portland team manned not only a busy Julia's House merchandise stall and an equally busy stall selling a wide variety of plants and garden ephemera but also an extremely popular Plant Crèche, where purchases made at the Fair could be left under the tender and watchful gaze of our volunteers in return for a donation to the work of Julia's House.
Business was very brisk and the whole operation was conducted with military precision and exemplary exactitude, flower and vegetable plants marshalled in serried ranks with ID displayed according to a hitherto unknown operational code. Fortunately, the vast majority were well-behaved and seemed to enjoy their stay with us. Only two perfectly harmless-looking busy lizzies were abandoned but have now been successfully fostered. One rather large rose bush caused a bit of a rumpus by appearing mysteriously when the team must have been blinking but turned out to be merely looking for her friends.
Altogether, it was a fun way to raise funds and, judging by the weight of the collection bucket, a greatly appreciated service into the bargain.
Beate Coward
10 May 2008
Weymouth &
Portland Friends Start Second Year of Fundraising
The Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House have now entered their second year, determined to beat the target that they succeeded in raising during their first year, thanks in no small measure to the invaluable help they received from numerous, generous groups and individuals. What has spurred the Weymouth & Portland Friends on to even greater efforts was a report given recently by Lin Hudswell, the Community Fundraising Manager for Julia's House, at the group's first AGM concerning developments at Julia's House and the funds needed to support them.
The factor that in particular motivates the Weymouth & Portland Friends is that 25% of the children and families that Julia's House cares for come from our area.
The Management Committee of the Weymouth & Portland Friends have therefore planned an ambitious programme of events. These range from a monthly presence at various table-top sales, running stalls at local fetes and fairs and Weymouth seafront as well as organising our own garden party at Queen Anne House, sponsored events and street collections.
In addition, there are several heart-warming developments in the air for 2008 as a result of initiatives from caring local organisations and individuals. Last autumn the Management Committee of the Portland Steam Fair, a prestigious event that takes place over two days in mid July at Southwell Park, announced that they would be adopting Julia's House as their main charity to benefit from their endeavours this year. In addition Weymouth Football Club has agreed to adopt Julia's House as their charity for the coming year. Julia's House will also be one of the nominated charities to benefit from the Sutton Poyntz Street Fair. Several Weymouth College students recently visited Julia's House and are now looking at carrying out fundraising activity.
The latest offer of extremely exciting assistance comes from a group of staff at HMP The Verne, led by Prison Officers, Alec Conway and Danny Leggatt, who are actively exploring ways in which staff and inmates could help Julia's House. The Verne is well known for its support for charity but the enthusiasm and commitment that Alec and Danny showed in discussing original ideas as well as tried-and-tested ploys to raise funds for Julia's House does them, and all associated with them, a great deal of credit. The message is most definitely 'Watch this space!'
The Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House meet once a month and new volunteers are always welcome. If you're interested or would like any further information, please contact the Brenda Bonwell, who chairs the group on 01305-783807. Likewise, if you would like Brenda to give a talk about the work of Julia's House to a group you belong to, please do not hesitate to contact her.
Beate Coward
17 March 2008
Brenda flies the flag for Julia's House at Community 2000 Portland
Saturday 16 February 2008
This morning the Chairperson of the Weymouth & Portland Friends of Julia's House, Brenda Bonwell, was once again to be found at her usual spot in the Community 2000 Portland. Brenda regularly wo/mans a couple of tables at the monthly Portland Rotary sponsored table-top sales, one laden with Julia's House merchandise and the other almost buckling under a wide variety of bric-a-brac.
Not only do the proceeds from the morning's sales provide a welcome donation to Julia's House funds but it also enables Brenda to publicise the sterling work being undertaken by the carers and staff of Julia's House.
Beate Coward
16 Feb 2008
