160 APPEAL; Didn't you do well

Here is a round-up of their most successful events:  

• LANDSCAPE artists, painters and portraitists across town and beyond answered Prospect Hospice’s fundraising call with a £1,000 donation in May.

For the past 18 years the Swindon Artists’ Forum has donated part of the proceeds from its sales as well as the money raised through collections to the charity, to help provide end-of-life care for thousands of patients.

Continuing this tradition has been a priority for the forum.

“We have raised over £14,000 for Prospect,” said chairman Andy Hubble. “The population of Swindon is growing and cancers are being diagnosed more frequently so Prospect needs more help.

“During these economic times not as many pictures are being sold but we always try to raise a minimum of £1,000.”

Member and Wroughton portraitist Ann Gamble added: “You never know when you are going to need Prospect. As a forum I think it’s important not to be there just for our needs but for others too. We need to continue to support Prospect. They never have enough money.”

• FROM robotic up-does and beehives to Flower Power styles, hairdressers redoubled in creativity to raise an apt £160 for the Adver’s 160 Appeal at a high-pressure competition last June.
  
  Trainees at Marvell & Hair Group Academy and Hair Group salon apprentices in Old Town were given just four hours to brush, curl, spray and pin up models’ long locks to achieve a hairdo worthy of the contest’s Back to the Future theme in a bid to raise funds for Prospect Hospice.
   

• Hair Group owner Elaine Bisset said supporting Prospect Hospice through the 160 Appeal was a real motivator for trainees and apprentices alike.

  “It was amazing,” she said. “Some of them had only been training for eight weeks and the work they came up with was phenomenal. We had a flower power hippie and robot. They had three hours plus one hour to put up the hair.

  “We chose Prospect because everyone will know someone that has used it. It’s a widely supported charity.”

• DESPITE a slight glitch hours before their largest fundraiser to date, Natalie and Steve Hearn succeeded in not only in remaining calm in the midst of a potential disaster but collected £2,700 for the 160 Appeal in June.

  The dedicated fundraisers, from Sheppard Street, are no strangers to last-minute problems as they had to move their previous Bee Gees tribute night at the eleventh hour due to conflict in scheduling in February.

  Their Soul & Motown night last Friday did not escape the cycle of ill luck when the band booked for the event became stranded in Cumbria.

  Thankfully the musicians made it to the Swindon Town Football Club Legend’s Lounge 30 minutes into their planned set and the festivities went without a hitch for the rest of night.

  The Motown night was a fitting tribute to Colin Daley, who passed away at Prospect Hospice on February 12 at 69 after a drawn-out battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

  “His family were there and we paid tribute to him and asked everybody to take a minute out to remember him and the person they lost,” she said. “There was also a round of applause at the start. Colin died at Prospect and we know what a fantastic job they do there caring for the patients. They take into consideration the family as well. Our job is to help them help somebody else.”

• TANWOOD School showed its commitment to the 160 Appeal by raising £1,000 at its 70th anniversary ball this summer.

  Celebrating a milestone in its history without lending support to Prospect Hospice, a charity it has had close links with ever since its inauguration in the 1980s, was out of the question for director Pollyann Tanner.

  “We have raised money for Prospect right from the beginning,” said the 51-year-old, of Grange Park, who took over the running of the school from her mother Mollie 10 years ago.

  Ten years ago, the hospice’s crucial place in the community was brought even closer to home for the family when her aunt Pat was taken into its care after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
  
  “My mother’s sister died of breast cancer 10 years ago and she had relied quite heavily on Prospect,” she added.
  
  “A lot of Prospect doctors and nurses’ children also came to my mother’s kindergarten school so we’ve always had links with the hospice from an early stage and that relationship grew. It is important for us to help Prospect. It’s a great cause.”

• EVENTS planners Best Parties Ever pledged a whopping £10,000 to the 160 Appeal allowing the Adver to reach its ambitious target. The funds were raised at the firm’s series of Marrakech-themed Christmas parties at Lydiard Park throughout December.

  
  Not only did Best Parties Ever offer to give all the funds collected at the events’ casinos but it donated £2 out of each ticket to the Wroughton charity.
  
  Holly Dodson, group sales director at Best Parties Ever, said: “We really wanted to support the appeal. We always want to work with local charities that are not supported by the Government. And because it’s local we find people are more inclined to donate their money because they’ve experienced the help, or know people who have, of that charity.”

• CHA cha cha and tango lovers took over Nova Hreod Academy for a ballroom challenge with a difference in support for the 160 Appeal at the end of August.

  No fewer than 80 Strictly Come Dancing fans came together for a 60-minute FitSteps class, a dance fitness programme developed by the BBC show’s stars Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite, alongside world champion swimmer Mark Foster.

  In just an hour the 74 women and six brave male participants succeeded in raising more than £800 for Swindon’s only hospice.

  The event was the brainchild of fitness instructor Karen Hyde, of Greenmeadow.

  “It was fantastic,” said the 42-year-old. “People paid £5 for the class and we sold cakes as well. People also did the ice-bucket challenge beforehand and donated to the hospice. For an hour of people’s time it’s fantastic. We had six men and it was hilarious but they did it.

  “It’s a charity close to my heart. I know a few people who have been in the Prospect. Unfortunately cancer seems to be affecting people a long younger nowadays. It’s too sad.”

• DANCERS rocked around the clock at a 1950s night in aid of the 160 Appeal, raising nearly £1,900 for Prospect Hospice.

  Determined to show her gratitude to the hospice which cared for her mother Maureen Brown, a lover of all things 50-inspired, Tina Mottram got into the swing of things organising a sell-out ball in October.

  The 1950s extravaganza at Coleview Community Centre secured a remarkable £1,888 towards medical care and emotional support for terminally-ill patients and their families.

  “After our article appeared in the Advertiser tickets sold like hot cakes,” said Tina, co-owner of Jessica’s Beauty Salon in East Wichel. “The dance floor was alive from the minute we started to the end of the night.”

  Maureen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 but was eventually given the all clear. However, the cancer returned in April 2012 and this time spread to her bones and liver. She passed away at the age of 72 in February.

  “When everyone joined hands and sang their hearts out for those that have lost and for the families that are losing the battle, it was an emotional moment of reflection on why we had organised our charity event.

  “Prospect Hospice gave my mum the best end of life care and continued support to our family.”

• TEACHERS at Commonweal School earned some serious street credit as they took to the stage at an all-dancing, all-singing cabaret night in aid of the Adver’s fundraising campaign in May.

  From a rap choir, to a mock boy band tribute and even a ventriloquist act, not to mention senior staff turned drag-alicious for the night, staff pulled out all the stops to impress and raised more than £2,000 for the campaign in aid of Prospect Hospice.

  “It was fantastic,” said head of music Ali Sutcliffe. “It was absolutely rammed. Lots of staff came to support and watch. The hype was huge because staff were performing and also because of the Wrong Direction tribute.

  “One of our members of staff passed away a couple of years ago and Prospect helped a lot. Other staff have had family members helped by Prospect so we chose Prospect. It was also an excuse for members of staff to come on stage and have fun and for students to see staff in a different light.”

• FROM dress down days to tuck shops and bake sales, pupils pulled out all the stops at Rodbourne Cheney Primary School in support of the 160 Appeal.

  Thanks to their efforts and enterprising spirit the children collected an impressive £330 for Prospect Hospice.

  The school was one of the first to get behind the fundraising campaign shortly after its launch in February.

  Gifty Tawiah, community fundraiser at Prospect Hospice said: “Our thanks go out to the children and staff at Rodbourne Cheney School for their fantastic support for Prospect Hospice. The children have done so brilliantly to raise £330 towards the care of our patients, and what they have raised will make a real difference.”

• MORE than £1,000 was collected in just a few hours by coffee chain Costa at a Swindon-wide fundraiser in memory of one of its bravest and most unforgettable customers.

  Last March, Costa cafes across town joined forces with the family and friends of Karen Lloyd, who died of breast cancer at Prospect Hospice in February 4, to raise funds for the charity in homage to the coffee addict.

  The day-long event scooped £1,059 for the Prospect Hospice, which cared for the mother-of-two until she passed away at the age of 51, six months after being diagnosed with cancer.

  Lynzi Barrett, of Rodbourne Cheney, who supported Karen throughout her illness was extremely touched by Costa customers’ generosity and support.

  “In every shop I went to on Saturday they said they remembered Karen and that’s why they were keen to do it,” said the 53-year-old.

  “To see people that you don’t know going out of their way to give to Prospect was brilliant.

  “Prospect is a good local cause and they completely rely on us. They were superb with Karen and us and they deserve every penny that we can get for them.”