JANUARY 2018
Our first outing of 2018 was to take part in the
annual GAFIRS New Year's Day
Swim in the Solent, or to be more accurate in most cases, a
brief plunge into the icy waters and then a dash for warmth.
Nearly 400 people took part and I represented the
Gosportarians, raising money for GAFIRS. We raised £220
which bought a marine radio and had
great coverage in not only our local News, but also the
Southampton Echo and the Daily Mail. |
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| January saw the first of our litterpicking
sessions helping CHAT. Sad to see that this lovely
bike was among the rubbish I retrieved from the
moat. |
Also in January we presented the Stokes Bay Junior Park Run
group with the equipment they had requested. Poles and chain
link for the finishing posts and waterproof writing
boards for use in all weathers
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| We also handed over the waterproof
marine radio that we had purchased with the money
donated by generous donors for my New Year's swim at
GAFIRS |
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| Still in January we visited "Simon
Says", an organisation based in Bridgemary that
welcomes young people who have suffered a family
bereavement to get together to discuss issues that
they have in common. We shall be donating much
needed equipment |
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I hosted a schools spelling competition between: Woodcot
Primary, Grange Infants
Bedenham Primary , Rowner Infants, Peel Common Infants
and Alverstoke Infants. A great start this year and
hopefully more schools next year. |
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February saw our regular litterpick with CHAT, this time at
Walpole Park |
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We visited the Oarsome Chance Foundation to see what they
did in our community |
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Having found what they needed in the way of supplies, we
went back to "Simon Says" with a large box of goodies for
them to use. |
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March saw our World Book Day presentations as we went to 5
schools and read to more than 400 pupils |
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The beginning of March saw our presentation
of a new laptop to SUKI gymnastics and aerobics club along
with a cheque for £500 from ASDA Gosport |
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Give Gain Grow's "Mad Hatter" Hat making session ready for
our annual
"Wear a Hat for Brain Tumour Research" on March 28th |
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We joined 1 Community of Fareham for their mascot parade
along West Street Fareham to help promote their services to
the community. |
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We joined forced with the Trash Cafe to put on and Easter
Egg Hunt, Fancy Dress Parade and Easter Bonnet competition
at the Thorngate Halls |
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With Gary and Rachel we visited Gomer, Leesland, Newtown,
Haselworth, Brockhurst, Bedenham, Holbrook and other schools
to read stories and give out gifts |
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"Wear a hat for brain tumour research saw us team up with
GiveGainGrow to march up and down Gosport High Street to
raise money and awareness. |
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Helped SUKI clean the 64 boards that make up their
championship floor in preparation for the upcoming
competition at Fareham Leisure Centre (only took three
hours!) |
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With the last of our Easter Eggs, ASDA community champions
Rachel Webber and Sharon Noble and I visited Ark Royal and
Sultan wards at the War Memorial Hospital to deliver the
eggs to the elderly patients and staff working through the
holiday |
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Our last visit in March was to the Wild Gardeners allotment
in Bridgemary for their open day to celebrate the flowers
and vegetables grown by Simon and Co. |
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Volunteered at the Southern Aerobic Gymnastics competition
at Fareham Leisure Centre
with Rachel, welcoming competitors and taking entrance fees |
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April 15th and I was filming the memorial service and
benches dedicated to the men who lost their lives when HMS
submarine "Affray" sunk near Alderney in 1951 |
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We delivered the items that Oarsome Chance had asked us to
purchase and had a go at using them ourselves |
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Along with ASDA Gosport champion Rachel, I went to breakfast
club at the War Memorial to make tea and talk to the
patients. We Met Clive from Age Concern Hampshire and
teacher Stephanie with her students from Fareham College |
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Gary took time off from his political campaigning to
accompany me on our journey to Totton to the home of Acclaim
Logistics to deliver our consignment of 100's of Terry
nappies, which were then loaded on a pallet ready to ship
them free over to the isle of Wight to join the Water
Barrels ready to ship to Africa |
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Visiting the patients at the War Memorial Hospital's
breakfast club with Gosport ASDA's
Community champion and Gosprotarian Rache Webber, we noticed
that their TV was not working, and on asking, was told that
it had been broken for months but there were no funds to
replace it. We decided to buy one to replace it, but first
wanted to appeal through Facebook to the public for
donations. Imagine my delight when not one but 5 TV's were
offered, including a brand new one donated by
Nathan Williamson of delotas.com |
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The War Memorial then asked for replacement chairs for their
dining room, which we sourced thanks to Rowner Junior School |
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We donated three "Roll out the Barrel" water containers to
Africa |
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The Gosportarians ordered a few
weeks ago a new tent to go with others ready for the 6th
Gosport Scouts based in Bridgemary to go to camp next week. |
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Together with ASDA champion Rachel Webber, we put on a Royal
Wedding celebratory tea for Y Services at Lee on Solent
Junior School |
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An out of the ordinary request from the War Memorial
Hospital this morning. A lady patient will be going home
soon and can no longer climb the stairs, and her husband at
home is in a similar position, so could the Gosportarians
act as furniture removers and take out the furniture from
the downstair front room, then bring the two beds from
upstairs |
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We then visited the hospital to let the lady know she couold
now sleep downstairs |
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Alverstoke and Forton Girlguides annual Fair and May Queen
crowning. A simple job but very pleasurable, as we shepherd
a hundred or more young people through the village before
returning to the Parish Centre for the crowning and then a
visit to all the stalls |
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We provided a Royal wedding preview Tea Party for parents
and members of the Y Services special needs youth group in
Lee on Solent |
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Hundreds of people and dogs turned up to support our
Gosportarians third annual dog show. Nearly 40 stalls and
five bouncy castles made for great enjoyment, and our three
showrings worked seamlessly. |
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A few months a go, following a request from Ian Potter, Head
of Bay House School Acadamy, the Gosportarians had a meeting
to discuss ways of helping with the funding of a unique
initiative called "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", a
European theatre performance by Werdenfels-Gymnasium, Lycée
Ozanam and Bay House School, and we gave help towards the
project. |
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A very busy weekend for the Gosportarians as we have three
events. The first was this morning at Ferneham Hall, as
guests of 1 Community to join the scores of other charity
and NFP groups showing what they have to offer. Gary, Mari
and I turned up at 9am, armed with Pikachu, Marshall (thanks
Johnny Reilly) and a Dalek (thanks Graham) which made
quite an impression in the hall. We also got to talk to the
PCaSO team about our forthcoming Prostate cancer clinic we
are trying to arrange later in the year at Bay House School. |
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A few weeks ago we made £1600
supplied by you at our dog show, and promised £1,000 to our
local Ark, who then sent me a shopping list which is well on
its way to completion. |
OUR YEAR IN PICTURES
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