Page 45 gives a mention to ‘Sweet Causes Ltd’ in their 2016 Annual Report & Accounts. Mencap gives ‘A Big Thank You’ to all their fantastic supporters around the UK for their generous and thoughtful donations including BBC Children in Need, Big Lottery Fund, Dame Barbara Windsor, Land Securities Group Plc, The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, Sir Alan & Lady Gilly Yarrow, Allen & Overy to name but a few.

However this is not just to thank us as a company it is also in recognition and thanks to each and every one of you out there who has bought a packet of our sweets and on more than one occasion, putting that £1 coin in the box, that contribution makes all the difference and when you hear of all the touching stories for example little Daire’s Story and Segal House (page 39) makes it all worthwhile. Click Here To View Report

 

A big thank you from all of us at Sweet Causes Ltd to all our compassionate and considerate customers out there, your support is greatly appreciated.

A breakfast meeting on Tuesday 11^th October 2016 was arranged to discuss how employers can help in getting people with learning disabilities back into the work force. Hosted by Sir Alan Yarrow and Chief Executive Jan Tregelles at the beautiful Mansion House in London. Amazed that only 6% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment compared to 49% of the wider disability community and 79% of the general population. Trying to break down barriers and changing the attitudes of employers and businesses, it highlighted so many positive examples of how it would have a huge impact on a person life and what benefits it can bring to a company.

https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/learning-disability-work-experience-week

The lovely Chloe Jones a Lecturer in Sport Performance at the Heart of Worcestershire College in Redditch and the project manager has kindly sent us details on her trip to Ghana and what she and Paul Addis achieved while working with the original volunteers and how Sweet Causes Ltd helped to sponsor their trip.  How we all can take things so much for granted, just plain basic drinking water and living accommodation, who would even of thought that there were Aston Villa fans that far afield, it’s a good job too, as they really need as many supporters as possible at the moment! This is what Chloe wrote and you can see the video clips together with Paul, below:

 

[vc_video title=”Ghana 2013″ link=”https://youtu.be/WkJDHlFv_kg”]

 

Well done guys, inspiring to see what you have accomplished, so glad we could help in some small way, keep up the good work.

 

  

 

‘Working in conjunction with Original Volunteers and Charity Sweets, we created a volunteering project for students at Heart of Worcestershire College. We believe that the more opportunities that young people are given in life to grow and develop, the more successful they will be in all walks of life. The project was established in 2012 and went live in 2013. Eight members of staff were recruited to support the delivery of the project. The main focuses were to encourage students to step out of their comfort zone, learn, develop, help and educate others by using sport and physical education as the main tool. I carefully identified and recruited fifteen students every year to be involved in the project from a range of different courses across college and of different ages. Charity Sweets sponsored the project. The money from the charity paid for water filters for communities along with other amenities that enhance the chances of survival. The students also ran community sporting events, open mic nights and other charitable events to raise funds for water filters, clothes, sports equipment and other fundamental items.

We then spent four weeks every year in Mpraeso, Ghana working within communities helping to raise attainment levels within schools by delivering lessons, mentoring teachers and coaches, delivering workshops, as well as offering a large number of opportunities for the students to participate in physical activity with simple equipment. The outcomes of this project every year were extraordinary. The Ghanaian teaching staff and students developed key life personal skills such as communication, confidence, belief and self-esteem. The HOW College students developed skills such as empathy, teamwork, confidence, appreciation and perspective.

This project continues to have a huge impact on Heart of Worcestershire Students, education organisations within the community, nursery and school students and Ghanaian communities. Thank you to the sponsors and the organisations that helped to make this project happen, we have helped over 2,000 Ghanaian people’.

 

Where is Mpraeso in Ghana? More Information

It was all very exciting when Mencap staff Jonada Appleby and Lucy Groen visited us at our new factory to volunteer to kindly help pick the winners for the Sweet Causes 2015 Free Christmas Draw. So many of you entered and all entries were put on clear view for all to see.

 

However the three lucky winners were:

1st Greenlite, Blackpool. FY4 2DP
2nd R S Components, Stockport. SK4 2JT
3rd Edmundson Electrical, Gloucester.GL4 3HX

 

Anyone that has not come forward to claim their prize, please feel free to let us know before next Christmas, won’t be long now! or it will be added to this year’s Christmas draw, so hurry!

 

 

Contact us on the usual email address info@charitysweets.co.uk or telephone 0845 1120 1531 so don’t forget to enter this year and requests for your free raffle tickets, available from your local sales collector first week commencing in November 2016, it could be you this year? The draw will take place in February 2017 to give time for all the ticket stubs to be returned. We will keep you posted.

 

Mencap help people with learning difficulties, they are the voice and strength behind those that cannot defend for themselves, they are the ones that listen when no one else will, they are the support when it is needed, they are a charity that do not discriminate, they are the ones that help support the vulnerable and their families when facing difficult times. So far to date we are proud to say we have raised an incredible amount of over £350,000 for Mencap.

 

Thank you to all our customers in supporting a lovely charity with lovely staff, check them out and see what’s going on with them www.mencap.co.uk

Did you know that 7 young people are diagnosed with cancer every day in this country? These events over the years have help provide 28 special cancer units and 63 specialist staff in the NHS hospitals all up and down in the whole of the UK. Some of these kids are amazing bringing with them such inspirational stories, for such young ones to have this kind of strength makes us want to support these guys even more.

 

Honorary patron Roger Daltrey got together many people he knows in the music industry to offer their services free of charge to support such a special evening celebrating their 16th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall 2016, the compare for the evening was Tim Lovejoy with the following this years line up of music and comedy – John Bishop, Alan Carr, Romesh Ranganathan, Stewart Lee, Seann Walsh, Josie Long, New Order, Simply Red, Bring Me The Horizon, The Vaccines, Everything Everything, Pumarosa, Tom Furse, Pvris, David Gilmour.

 

There was plenty to eat and drink and a chance to buy their merchandise, even signed photographs of famous music stars past and present. So next year be quick to get your tickets and support these young heroes by checking their website out.

www.teenagecancertrust.org

‘Owlfred’ designed by Kristian Movahed, he is covered from head to foot with hundreds of paper photographic feathers of some very important people that are connected to Birmingham, people that have given us such pride and inspiration. To name but a few Stephen Sutton (TCT) , Cat Deeley, Lenny Henry, Frank Skinner, Jasper Carrot, Julie Walters, UB40, Ozzy Osbourne, Roy Wood, Ruby Turner, Beverley Knight, Noddy Holder, Laura Mvula, Jeff Lynnem, Dexys Midnight Runners, Grace Colling, Emma Willis, Oliver and James Phelps, Tony Lommi , Robert Plant, Georgina Moseley, Joshua Jackson.

 

‘Owlfred’ was auctioned at the Think Tank Birmingham Science Museum, a Wild in Art event delivered in partnership with the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, it captured an exciting fun evening raising an enormous about of money over £508,000 generously given for such a well-deserved cause.

 

The money raised for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Star Appeal will help create a brand new centre for children and young people living with very rare and undiagnosed medical conditions. Rare diseases affect one in 17 people. One rare disease may affect only a handful of patients in the world, another might touch as many as 245,000. This centre will be the first of its kind for children and young people in the UK.

 

 

The Symphony Hall in Birmingham had originally been home to ‘Owlfred’ and not wanting him to feel too home sick we decided to send him back to where he belongs. After careful planning and lots of bubble wrap he was delivered safe and sound back to the Symphony Hall for all to see.
Next time you are in Birmingham pop into the Symphony Hall to see what’s going on and say hello to Owlfred (ground floor next to the bar area) why not send us your picture?

 

www.bch.org.uk