It's about this time every year that the whole Rapid Welding/RentArc family is drafted in to putting forward nominations for the chosen charity for which we aim to raise money; it could be any cause, and all suggestions are welcomed.
In 2016, the charity with the most nominations was the very worthwhile Guide Dogs for the Blind Portsmouth & District. We ran several fundraising events, housed a life size Guide Dog in the office for a year - said doggy was very affectionately named Penny and became Scarlet's best bud, and we even had two incredible individuals who shall not remain nameless - Karen & Charlotte, run 10k for this fantastic cause, even managing to raise £559.00 through Just Giving in the process! (Read about our 10k super girls HERE).
"The aim of the charity (Abby's Heroes) is to help and support children and their families, including bereaved families, who come under the care of the Piam Brown Ward at Southampton General hospital. The catchment for this ward covers the south of England as it is a centre of excellence for children’s oncology. We aim to offer financial and practical help and importantly, the opportunity to make lasting memories for the children and their families.
As a family that has passed through this ward, we are acutely aware of what a traumatic and frightening journey it can be for both the child and their families. The child’s life is completely taken over by the diagnosis of childhood cancer and their families worlds are thrown into utter chaos and panic as they watch their child go through the rigours of treatment.
The realty of the future these families face includes months or years of treatment, families are often separated for long periods, as parents need to stay with the child, but also may have siblings that need looking after as well. Jobs are put on hold and inevitably financial implications start to hit home, this puts a massive strain on families as normal life ceases to exist.
Abby’s heroes has been set up entirely with this in mind. Practical help will be given – financial grants to help people through difficult time. Bereaved families may be given grants to help give parents time to grieve. Days out and fun memory-making grants will also be given, which will allow the families a chance to do something together."
It was a very close call between the nominations (only two votes between the top two!), but I think we can all agree Abby's Heroes is a very worthwhile charity to support this year, and we look forward to hearing about some events we can join in with to raise funds for this incredibly important cause.
Let’s see what we can do for Abby’s Heroes in 2017.
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