September 28th 2011

Well now they have both done it! Ian successfully completed the 470kms to Paris and we were all there to meet him on September 17th under the Eiffel Tower. It has been a tremendous achievement all round as we have managed to raise nearly 3 times as much as our original target. The fund is still growing thanks to your generosity and we have a few events to still run which we hope will give us the last push over the next target of £15000.

The most recent photo shows Stan and Ian under the Eiffel Tower as Ian completed the ride.

Thank you for making it all possible through your wonderful donations and if you haven't donated but want to please do so soon as we will be closing the page at the end of October.

 

 

 

 

August 18th 2011   I've Done It!

Stan has successfully cycled the 470kms from London to Paris - and completed this ahead of schedule.

Beth commented that "Stan rode into Paris  last week finally completing this gruelling journey. This is a fantastic achievement for Stan and he has gained the admiration and support of so many people along the way. Undoubtably this has spurred him on and helped to keep him going especially over the last 100kms."

If you look you will also see our overall total has continued to climb and we now have over £10000 with Gift aid added on. We are continuing to fundraise maybe hoping that we might achieve £15000 before we draw it to a close at the end of October.

If you haven't done so already and are inspired by my effort and achievement please donate whatever you can. Every little amount helps and it could make a real difference to people like me who have dementia or memory difficulties.

We are hoping that the monies raised will be used to helping people like myself do as many things as we can to keep a sense of normality in our lives. We may have dementia but we are still the same person you knew some years earlier and we can with help and support get a sense of real satisfaction doing normal things. I love to sing and others I know like gardening and drawing/sculpting. All of these activities are things we can still do with some additional help and support. Please help us to help others like me.

Stan and Beth are going out to Paris to meet Ian as he  completes the actual Bike ride on his behalf. They will be under the Eiffel Tower on 17th September.

July 2011

Well have we had a brilliant week! In the last week we have held most of our planned big events and they have delivered a fantastic sum of money. We had managed to get to £3000 and could see our first target in sight. We had planned most of our events to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week and so we did a collection down at the local Farm Shop which raised over £500. Then we had a brillaint afternoon for the Strawberry Cream Tea. The hall was packed, the atmosphere was lovely and Neil Fox opened the event. When we counted it all up we had over £1500. Then on Friday night we hosted a Stars in their Eyes charity evening which made £1500 and finally Jane and Anne and their family and friends held an afternoon and evening parties and raised £2000. So in one week we have banked over £5500. so you will see that my new target is £10000.

What News? I am three quarters of the way there and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This week I passed the 330kms mark so only 140kms to go before I finish. I am really pleased how it is going and that it is causing a lot of interest and support from all around the world – via family and friends.

A really BIG THANK YOU to all who have donated so far and hopefully those who have yet to put their hands in their pocket will feel moved to do so very shortly.

April 2011

My little brother Andrew (the Chef) and his wife Liz came over from Thailand in April and were determined to contribute to my cause. We had a brilliant night at Wakefield College with a Cookery Demonstration evening of A taste of South East Asia. They cooked 5 splendid dishes with everyone getting several tastes and over 80 people in the audience. That evening alone raised a spectacular £800 which has certainly boosted our total. At the moment we have about £1700 in the bank or through Just Giving and we are trying to achieve £2000 before the end of June. So come on people can you help us out?

This fund raising has now become critical as the budget which supports all of the events that have made such a difference to my life this year and helped me to stay engaged and active have had to be cut from weekly to twice a month. I know this is going to have a massive detrimental effect on mine and other peoples’ lives in the next few months and will cause deterioration. For dementia sufferers, routine and structure help us to live as normal a life as possible as well as allowing us to participate on a par with other normal people.

We are trying now to get the next few events underway. We have planned a series to coincide with Dementia Awareness Week at the beginning of July. We are holding a collection at Blacker Hall Farm (one of our local sponsors) on Sat 2 July 2011, we have a Strawberry Cream Tea in the afternoon on Wednesday 6 July 2011 which is to be opened by Neil Fox, a legendary Rugby League player, and then finally there is a charity evening – Stars in their Eyes on Friday 8 2011.

Thank you to all who have donated to the cause so far and hopefully we have inspired those who haven’t to think again.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. My name is Stan Brown and many of you will know me from my teaching days.

I was Head of Drama and Head of Lower School at Ossett School (1970-1987) and then I was Deputy Head and Headteacher at Carleton High School (1987- 2000) in Pontefract. One of my greatest loves was Drama and you may well have been one of the people who took part in those many productions I directed at both schools. If you know me in whatever way please read on......

We are hoping that if you are inspired by my story you will sponsor me on my marathon virtual London to Paris bike ride.

I am 66 years young and a member of the gym at Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield. I was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers’ dementia when I was 58 which has had a major impact on my life and wellbeing. However, I believe in making the most of each day and I lead a busy life.

 Are you aware that Dementia directly affects 1 in 4 people throughout the UK and your support will help raise awareness and much needed funds to help support those affected by dementia. It is estimated that by 2020 over a million people will have dementia in UK.

It is really important to keep people who have dementia engaged in living life to the full within their capabilities but also maintaining their confidence as this helps them to keep their well being for the longest time. For younger people like me exercise and activity are vital. This is one aim that our local Alzheimer’s society is striving to provide and achieve.

The local Alzheimers society in Wakefield has given Beth and I tremendous support, particularly in the last year as things have got more difficult. So while I can still do things, I am determined to raise as much money as I can to help the local group maintain and even expand on the activities and support they give to people and families who have someone with dementia.

Ian Milburn, one of my good friends, is cycling the actual route from London to Paris over 4 days a distance of 470 kms.(www.justgiving.com/IAN-MILBURN)

I wanted to do my bit as well so I am cycling the same distance in the gym!  I started at the beginning of March and aim to complete it by September 18 – the day the race finishes in Paris.

We want to raise £5000 and so are planning a series of fundraising events between March and September 2011 including a Strawberry Afternoon tea on Wednesday 6th July at St Peter and St Paul's Parish Centre, Standbridge Lane, Kettlethorpe( opposite ADSA) WF2 7NR between 2.00-5.30pm. We are hoping to have local support for baking cakes, providing tombola and raffle prizes or any other forms of sponsorship. If you think you can help please get in touch with us.

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.