Hello my friends and welcome to my birthday page.
This year I will be 50; something that I am having the greatest difficulty in coming to terms with. I have thought long and hard about how best to approach this coming event especially in these times of economic uncertainty. At last I have decided that what we all need is a party, something to look forward to and, hopefully, enjoy.
I have had an extremely fortunate life and been blessed with a wonderful family. I have enclosed a selection of photos here for those of you that haven't seen me in a while to gasp at how old I have become and wonder how on earth I managed to produce two such beautiful children. Honestly, they are mine! If you come to my party you will be able to meet them if you haven't done so already. I make no apology for being proud of my family or for showing photos of happy times because I believe that this is what we all strive for.
I have no tales of hardship, illness or any other woes with which to beset you and for this I am very grateful. So I approach my birthday looking back on 50 very happy and memorable years. I have made some truly wonderful friends during this time and Iinvite you all to celebrate my birthday with me.
When you contemplate your life in this way, you think of those who have been less fortunate than yourself and those friends and family that you have lost along the way. I really have been so fortunate and want for nothing so I have decided to ask you all to buy me a very special gift for my birthday. I would like you to help me support the Shooting Star Children's Hospice. Their website will tell you more about their work than I ever can but they provide care, support and advice for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families. These care services are offered free of charge to families, 365 days a year across the western half of London and north Surrey. I know that they provide the most magical support to those who need it. Anyone who is a parent themselves can only begin to imagine the terror of finding that your child has a life that is more limited than your own. The Shooting Star Children's Hospice provides help in so very many ways and they need the support of people like us. I urge you to find out more about this worthy charity by visiting www.shootingstar.org.uk.
So this is my request. I do not need a gift from any of you in order to celebrate my birthday. I have your friendship, love and support which is more than I would ever need or deserve. So instead of a gift to me, I ask that you make a donation to support this worthy charity. You can even save money on a card and a stamp by sending me birthday wishes via this site and add a little more to your donation. Don't forget the giftaid bit either, which makes it go that little bit further.
Please take the time to look at the photos and give as much as you can. I look forward to seeing you all on 28th November 2009.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.
