Clive Billingham
Bill/Clive turns 60 - Iceland Rocks
Fundraising for Love Hope Strength Foundation
Story
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
I retired about 4 years ago and since then have volunteered for LHS, encouraging people to "Get On The List" at gigs and music festivals to help identify marrow donors and matches. This was initially driven by a love of the music of The Alarm, Mike & Jules Peter's selfless work, and the fact that leukaemia was part of my Dad's story at the end of his life 18 years ago. Having done this at gigs by The Alarm, The Damned, Holy Holy, Smiley's Friends and the last 3 years at IOW Festival, I was looking for other ways to support LHS when I heard about Rock The Canyons which took place in Oct 2018 - it was such an inspirational experience, and Iceland Rocks is another great chance to support this amazing cause and remember my Dad who I still think about every day. On top of that I wanted to do something to mark the fact that I turn 60 on 5th June this year.
My daughter Ella visited Iceland several years ago, and has always told me what an amazing and beautiful place it is. Trekking and camping for a week in Sept seems a great way to see it, with a chance of experiencing the Northern Lights if I'm really lucky.
I’m passionate about LHS because the charity is committed to giving hope to people living with cancer across the globe. Through its ‘Get On The List’ programme, LHS helps identify marrow donors to match with those in need of a second chance at life. LHS also supports life saving and life changing equipment and special projects aimed at supporting some of the most vulnerable people affected by cancer.
Incredibly, LHS has already delivered over 200,000 people to the international bone marrow donor list. This has resulted in over 4,000 direct and potentially life saving matches (as of January 1st 2019).
As well as equipping hospitals and community cancer services in the UK and USA with new facilities and equipment, LHS has also already built and supported cancer centres in Tanzania and Nepal and aims to do lots, lots more. Led by volunteers like me and supported through partnerships with leading international organisations, LHS provides its supporters with value for money and opportunities to have fun whilst giving back, and it provides those it serves with a lifeline.
Where will the money you help me raise go? All funds raised over the trek will help to fund Love Hope Strength’s three grants programs:
a) International cancer care - offering love, hope and strength to families affected by cancer in underprivileged areas of the world by supporting new equipment, facilities and specialist services in hospitals and in the community (managed in partnership with UICC, www.uicc.org)
b) The Get On The List programme - registering people on the international bone marrow donor list to help save lives (managed in partnership with DKMS, www.dkms.org)
c) The new equipment programme - changing lives in the UK through the provision of state of the art equipment in hospitals and health centres aimed at enhancing the care and treatment people with cancer and their carers receive (managed in partnership with the NHS).
I expect everyone is inundated with requests for charity donations, but even a small amount would be very gratefully received by me and LHS. Thanks very much. Bill (Clive)
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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.