Mencap’s Christmas Carol Service will take place on Friday 15th December 2017

https://www.mencap.org.uk/

at

St Giles-without-Cripplegate in London at 6.30pm http://www.stgilesnewsite.co.uk

After last year’s 2016 tremendous carol service entertaining us all with the Music Man Project and the English Baroque Choir unquestionably who would really want to miss this years’ service?

There was so much energising vigour sweeping through this fantastic church, everyone with beaming smiles from ear to ear, dancing, bopping and happily bouncing all over the place, it would have put Tigger as in ‘T-I-DOUBLE-GUH-ERR’,  to shame.

Without a doubt there’s going to be a big turnout. 

Come on, try it! It makes ya feel just grrreat!

Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! T-T-F-N: ta-ta for now!

An amazing evening was enjoyed by all at the London Palladium on Sunday 15^th October by The Music Man Project. The evening was non-stop energy of joyous entertainment, so uplifting, bringing tears to your eyes. Some 1000 triangles waited patiently under everyone’s seats to be played simultaneously gaining a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The event has now become such a huge success they have all been invited to play at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018

More on this exceptional and outstanding education service specifically for children and adults with learning disabilities can be found on http://themusicmanproject.com

The magnificent David Stanley the founder and director of ‘The Music Man Project’ was there leading the way for those in the audience and on stage who wanted to participate, David projected so much inspirational enthusiastic energy which was just absorbed by everyone in the theatre. http://themusicmanproject.com/welcome-to-the-music-man-project/david-stanley/

‘Music is Magic’ is the title of their new album and can be purchased on amazon or on the Music Man Project website http://themusicmanproject.com/

A well-deserved touching tribute and memories of Brian Rix, who for eight years was the secretary general of Mencap and became chairman in 1988 progressing to the president 10 years later, sadly, Brian Rix died last year 2016.

https://www.mencap.org.uk/lordrix

 

 

Christina and Lucy Groen were fit and raring to go at Mencap’s Greenwich Run on Saturday 22nd July 2017, details of which, plus many more Mencap events to get involved in, are up on their website. You can sign up by registering: https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/events-for-mencap

 Both were there, on hand, to help along the way some of the ‘Team Mencap Runners’ giving them moral support and it looks like they were all giggling to the very end … well I know I never look that happy at the end of any race …  must be our sweets!

Christina said ‘Lucy and I acted as guides for a couple of a colleagues who had a learning disability to get around to for the 5k – It was incredible to help them through the journey! We honestly cannot thank you enough for the sweets, they were definitely needed!’

‘Glad we could help, great to see such smiling faces, well done to all of you’.  

Please spare the time to watch this one-off documentary called ‘Growing Up With Cancer’ airing on Monday 26th June on BBC1 at 7.30pm, which will focus on the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow. The documentary will follow five young people through their treatment and includes interviews with hospital staff including one of their Youth Support Coordinator. It really tells their stories from their points of view, demonstrating how incredibly tough it can be but how resilient, positive and inspirational they are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08wb011

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

The documentary has come about while BBC Scotland were making a different programme about the hospital where they were following various patients including Conor, a young man being treated on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit. The BBC team were so blown away by TCT services that they commissioned a documentary purely focusing on the unit and the young people being treated there.

 

We were absolutely delighted to be invited by Teenage Cancer Trust to their head office this week to present a giant cheque for … wait for it… £100,000.

Bob Strong and Sue Strong (I’m the one behind the camera) were very proud and honoured to present the cheque to Joanna Carson TCT Corporate Accounts Executive

Our gratitude, as always, goes out to you our lovely customers who buy our sweets to help and support these young people, thank you so much.

After the presentation we visited the Teenage Cancer Trust Hub located in the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre to see for ourselves the wonderful work these incredible people do and where the money goes to help this charity.

Did you know 7 young people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK?  Can you ever imagine waking up one day to be told that your teenage daughter, son, grandchild or friend has cancer?  You just don’t want to think about it ever happening, puts a lump to the throat and a heavy sigh to the heart. Well these brave youngsters have had that awful news given to them sometime in their lives and that’s why we and you have been striving to help and support these teenagers.

We got to hear first-hand from all involved including the specialist nurses, youth support co-ordinators and some young people who have received this important care and support that has been desperately needed for patients, also a tour was given to one of the units by Ward Sister Julia Dahlstrom, as seen in the picture with Bob Strong, having a chance to see exactly what medical treatments that are presently available and what future plans are in place to keep improving treatments and how TCT are putting in place to try and reach more young people with cancer all across the UK. 

All bedrooms are equipped with soft furnishings, bespoke furniture, TV, DVD and gaming facilities, and there is dedicated Teenage Cancer Trust Wifi with laptops provided, they also have facilities on T13 which provides inpatient services for 20 – 25 year olds. They have enhanced the environment, refurbishing the bed areas and providing wall art. Their ambition is to help create a dedicated recreation room for the young adults being treated on the ward.

The Teenage Cancer Trust HUB at the Macmillan Cancer Centre, University College Hospital London is an out-patient facility for 13-24 year olds with 8 treatment pods.

It also has a further 8 treatment chairs, and various treatment and consulting rooms and a spacious social area. This includes a gym, DJ booth, computer gaming space, education zone, a family area and cafe. The T12 Teenage Cancer Trust Unit is for 13-19 year olds and has 18 in-patient beds.

This is why your continued support is so crucially important, it will enable the charity to further expand so future generations can benefit.  https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

 We provided a few special sweet treats to some of the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes on the unit at the University College London Hospital as a special thank you.

          

                                         .

Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat in Staffordshire  http://www.moddershalloaks.com/ is holding a Fund Raising Dinner in aid of Cancer Research on

 Thursday 27^thJuly 2014 at 7.00pm until late

 http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/support-us/do-your-own-fundraising

Making sure you don’t go home empty handed, here’s just a little taster of what prizes are in store for you on evening to bid or buy tickets for: Luxury confectionery hampers by none other, Sweet Causes Ltd, a Hotel stay with dinner at Fairlawns Hotel in Aldridge, Spa Day for two at Moddershall Oaks, Golf for 4 people at Calderfields Golf Club, carvery for two at Calderfields Golf Course, Hydra Facial at Medizen in Mere Green Sutton Coldfield, a pamper party for 6 people with back massage and Prosecco at your own home, signed memorabilia from the England Cricket Team and Aston Villa Football Team, Floristry arrangements and those are just a few to mention with many more prizes and activities to come.

Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat

Moddershall

Stone

Staffordshire

ST15 8TG

Directions: Sat Nav ( ST15 8WF)

For further details and to purchase tickets please contact Jaeger Donnelly at jaegerdonnelly@gmail.com

Tickets are available at £55 each or a table of 10 is £500.

 

As from June 2017 we are introducing new company identification badges for any person working on behalf of Sweet Causes Ltd.

 Each new plastic ID card will have a present day photograph printed on the front of the card of the person working on behalf of Sweet Causes Ltd, they will have the person’s full name, their home address ‘postcode’ and their own personal reference number, the lanyard will have the Company Logo printed in white text on a royal blue background.

The card should also have the company name, postcode, email address and telephone number 0845 120 1531.

They should look like this …

The card holder is royal blue and made from a hard waterproof plastic with matching company logo lanyard with clip.

All employees or representatives working on behalf of Sweet Causes Ltd and any charity they are involved with, will now be required to carry and wear this ID Badge at all times.

Always get to know your sales collector, they should always carry their ID badges with them and if you are not sure please feel free to call the main office for advice on: Tel 0845 120 1531 OR info@charitysweets.co.uk

This year we are chuffed to bits to have been nominated and awarded by

 Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Charity ‘100 Heroes’ for 2017.

We are delighted and proud to be supporters of such an outstanding hospital and charity, thank you from all of us at Sweet Causes Ltd, it makes it all worthwhile. 

For the year 2016/2017 Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Charity have reached a staggering £7,000,000? yes, seven million pounds! can you believe it?

A red balloon will be displayed in the hospital reception area, which is known as the ‘Balloon Corridor’ for the next twelve months, each special red balloon represents a tribute or contribution by a person or company who have supported or helped Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Charity succeed in their annual fundraising total. 

The award was presented by the lovely Sarah-Jane-Marsh, Chief Executive Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, who never stops smiling by the way. The program citation read: ‘Bob and Sue are the owners of Charity Sweets, which has raised over £500,000 for good causes since 2001. They supported the ‘Big Hoot, 2015, and acquired ‘Owlfred’ the owl, who now resides very happily at the Symphony Hall.  This year they have very generously supported our Star Appeal’. 

 https://www.bch.org.uk/?q=money

Sitting outside the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Grade Two Listed Chapel, shows us all how resilient little ones can be when faced with illness or grief.

Here are some of the reasons we and many others like us support Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Charity and what makes it such a special place.  

 http://www.bch.nhs.uk/news/article/14645-birmingham-children%E2%80%99s-hospital-proud-be-rated-%E2%80%98outstanding%E2%80%99-care-quality-commissi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39009683

http://www.bch.nhs.uk/news/article/14647-bereaved-parents-come-together-open-new-and-unique-%C2%A31-million-centre-birmingham-c

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

When you do something good, it’s just makes you feel good, it’s about what you can do for others.
Have you got a couple of hours to spare because you want to help others and help raise funds for a local charity event in the West Midlands?
We are looking for hard working honest people to work for 2 hours mixing amongst the crowds with a great personality selling sweets for a charity festival event in Sutton Coldfield area of the West Midlands on Saturday 12th August 2017. Please forward your details if you would be interested in joining us for that day on info@charitysweets.co.uk

In Return:

• Free all day pass to the festival to spend the rest of the day at your leisure.
• Corporate clothing and clear hooded poncho
• Full Training session
• £20 for food and drink for the day.
• Free ‘Thank you’ bags of sweets.
• Identification card and lanyard.
• Transport of products will be done for you – you just collect at the festival and sell them.
• Possible long term work for the right candidate.
• A chance to make new friends.

Hours of work and proposed shifts will be: (this is to be confirmed) 
10am – 12pm
12pm – 2pm
2pm – 4pm
4pm – 6pm

You will be required to:

• over 18 years old
• be sales oriented.
• be of a cheerful disposition and customer focus.
• be reasonably fit and healthy as you will be requested to carry a large usherette tray around packed with sweets to sell.
• provide your current Passport and some forms of identification.
• attend a special meeting and training session in Birmingham prior to the event.
• be able to find yourself to the event.
• attend interviews at the main Birmingham office.