Breathe On UK awarded £15,000 by BBC Children in Need

Breathe On UK, based in Dorset are delighted to announce that BBC Children in Need have awarded them a grant of £15,000 over 1 year. This grant will fund five bespoke holistic holidays at Centre Parcs at either Longleat or Sherwood Forest and will continue to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

Breathe On UK is one of many projects in the UK who have received a grant in the first of four rounds made possible by the generous support of the public in 2008, which amounted to a record breaking Appeal Night total of £20,991,216! Breathe On UK would like thank the thousands of donors, fundraisers and organisations who ‘did something different’ and contributed to the campaign!

Breathe On UK has designed five bespoke holidays for children on long term ventilation or are oxygen dependent. These holidays will take place at one of two Centre Parcs venues, either Longleat or Sherwood Forest. This will provide the children with a wonderful experience they otherwise would be unable to have due to their complex medical needs. As well this may be the only holiday of this type which they will be able to enjoy within the family unit. Enjoying activities as a family unit will undoubtedly enhance the relationship with not only the parents but also the child's siblings. This holiday will allow the disadvantaged child to be a child and not a patient. This family holiday experience is only possible with the support of Children in Need.

Victoria Townsend, CEO of Breathe On UK states "We feels empowered by this donation from Children in Need. We appreciate that our children have finally been recognised and their needs addressed. Our children are being given the opportunity of having a family holiday - something impossible without this grant. I hope they will gain a sense of achievement and that the family will be strengthened by this experience."

David Ramsden, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said “Our grants are made possible by the amazing generosity of the public. They make it possible for us to help such great projects as [project name] continue to help change young lives for the better.”

Since November, the BBC charity has received thousands of applications for funding. These are rigorously assessed and considered in the months leading up to April by eight committees who pass on their recommendations to the Trustees of the charity. All grants go to projects working with children and young people who may be affected by homelessness, neglect, abuse or poverty, or those who have encountered serious illness, disabilities and psychological disorders.

Sunday 23 August 2009 • 12-4pm  
The Holly Bush, Shortfield Road, Frensham, Farnham Surrey GU10 3BJ 
www.thesophiestory.co.uk

Caribbean themed Fun!
Everyone is welcome to the Sophie Story Summer Fun Day on Sunday 23rd August at The Holly Bush in Frensham from 12-4pm. The Holly Bush is Sophie’s Nanny and Grandad’s pub. All proceeds will go to Chase Hospice Care for Children. The Summer Fun Day will include something for the whole family so please come along and support this fantastic cause. The theme is the Caribbean so please come in your flip flops, loud shirts and sunnies and hope for sun!

The day will include: • A well stocked bar and cocktails • Delicious BBQ • Caribbean themed fancy dress with prize for best dressed • The Big Red Limo (fire engine) • Classic motorbikes • Game stalls including Lucky Dip, Tombolas, Penalty Shoot Out, Cake Stall, Face Painting and many more... • Craft stalls • Raffle with a £75 first prize

Weather permitting, there will be a motorbike run leaving from the Shepherd and Flock public house (on the roundabout on the A31 in Farnham) at 10am and arriving back at the Holly Bush at approximately 12.30pm where bikes will be on display. Please ring the Holly Bush on 01252 793593 if you require further information.

The Sophie Story 
Sophie suffers from a very rare form of mitochondrial disease that has made her muscles extremely weak. She cannot sit or support her head, she has a tracheostomy and is permanently connected to a ventilator to help her breathe. There is no cure and Sophie has a very poor prognosis.
To read Sophie’s full story please visit her website at: www.thesophiestory.co.uk

Thursday June 11 2009

Breathing Charity’s £1,400 Aid
By Natalie Walker
A WIGAN couple has been amazed at the borough’s generosity in fund-raising for a children’s charity set up by a mother in Dorset. Joanne Gregson, of Sandycroft Avenue, Swinley, Wigan, who runs an eBay shop, The Finishing Post Outfitters, was so touched by an e-mail by one of her customers, she decided to organise a charity fun day at The Britannia Hotel in Standish, with the help of husband Steve, 41.
Joanne, 42, had been in contact with Victoria Townsend, from Dorset, who set up a charity, Breathe On, which supports families with children on ventilation. The day, which raised £1,460, included a live band, an auction, games and raffles, with prizes donated by local businesses. Joanne said: “We cannot believe the support we’ve got. It was something that has touched us.
“The charity is struggling – they need £900,000 a year to survive and I thought we can help. It’s opened our eyes about charities and how they are struggling and how generous people are.
“It’s a real community thing to me. Lots of people have donated and giving us things – it’s pulled everybody together.” Steve said: “We are grateful to everybody who helped. We had a team of helpers and we all pitched in.
“It was all to raise awareness of the charity.” The money will go towards supporting youngsters such as Rachel Wakefield, 21, from Manchester, who is waiting for a lung and heart transplant. She said: “I hope to be able to give young people that are dependent on lifetime ventilation a voice and talk about the struggles that me and my family have had with this technology.
“The charity also helps parents of younger children who are lifetime ventilation dependent understand exactly how they’re feeling and give insight to normal people about the struggles.”
Victoria Townsend, chief executive of Breathe One, whose nine-year-old boy has been on ventilation for all but three weeks of his life, said: “If it was not for people like Joanne and Steve we wouldn’t be able to keep going. We would like to thank everyone in Wigan who has donated.

Breathe On UK gets Accolades at House of Commons

At the launch of their first publications Breathe On UK were applauded in their efforts since launch in 2004 by both Anne Milton MP, Shadow Health Minister and Dr Sheila Shribman, Clinical Services Director of the NHS.They both stated how they would like to help families with children on long term ventilation obtain support and help from all the agencies and recognised how important it was to ensure that children were given the best care and the most help in battling with multiple health problems and particularly those with a minority voice.

(Left to right) Victoria Townsend, CEO Breathe On UK, Dr Sheila Shribman, Clinical Services Director for Children, NHS, Mr Lavery father of Harrison Lavery, Breathe On UK's first Ambassador, Anne Milton MP and Dr Claus Newman, Chairman Breathe On UK.