James Mitchell
Jim's page
Fundraising for Charlton Athletic Community Trust
Story
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I consider myself to be a generally lucky guy, but every so often life bowls you a curve ball. I’m afraid I failed to duck many years ago when the Charlton Athletic ball smacked me on the head and, as a season ticket holder, have endured a steady decline in playing fortunes and the ravages of a bonkers ownership in recent times. Despite all this, a shining beacon in the darkness over the last decade has been the work of the Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CAST) and in particular their support of the “Upbeats”.
The Upbeats were formed to provide regular activities and engagement for young people and adults with Down’s syndrome in South East London and Kent. It has been a spectacular success. 10 years on, we have 35 regular attendees at our weekly training sessions and the senior team are six times Downs Syndrome Active national champions including winning the last five titles. The project has reduced isolation for those who have attended over the years and their families. The Upbeats programme is entirely funded by voluntary donations.
On Saturday 14 April, I will be Joining CAST, the Upbeats themselves and some Charlton legends on a ten-mile walk from the club’s training ground in New Eltham to the Valley to celebrate the 10th year of the Upbeats and raise funds to support the on-going activities of the programme. I would be very grateful for any support that friends, family or colleagues feel they can offer.
I marvel at the way the Upbeats and their carers deal cheerfully with their challenges on a daily basis. As some of you will know, I have had a more modest hurdle of my own to jump in recent weeks. The prospect of a ten-mile walk should be no more than, well, a walk in the park really. That it is so in my case is thanks to the remarkable progress being made in the understanding and treatment of ischemic heart disease and the skill of the surgeons and cardiac teams over the last five years at Kings College and Darenth Valley hospitals. Accordingly, I will be making a donation to the British Heart Foundation based on the monies raised for the Upbeats.
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.
I consider myself to be a generally lucky guy, but every so often life bowls you a curve ball. I’m afraid I failed to duck many years ago when the Charlton Athletic ball smacked me on the head and, as a season ticket holder, have endured a steady decline in playing fortunes and the ravages of a bonkers ownership in recent times. Despite all this, a shining beacon in the darkness over the last decade has been the work of the Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CAST) and in particular their support of the “Upbeats”.
The Upbeats were formed to provide regular activities and engagement for young people and adults with Down’s syndrome in South East London and Kent. It has been a spectacular success. 10 years on, we have 35 regular attendees at our weekly training sessions and the senior team are six times Downs Syndrome Active national champions including winning the last five titles. The project has reduced isolation for those who have attended over the years and their families. The Upbeats programme is entirely funded by voluntary donations.
On Saturday 14 April, I will be Joining CAST, the Upbeats themselves and some Charlton legends on a ten-mile walk from the club’s training ground in New Eltham to the Valley to celebrate the 10th year of the Upbeats and raise funds to support the on-going activities of the programme. I would be very grateful for any support that friends, family or colleagues feel they can offer.
I marvel at the way the Upbeats and their carers deal cheerfully with their challenges on a daily basis. As some of you will know, I have had a more modest hurdle of my own to jump in recent weeks. The prospect of a ten-mile walk should be no more than, well, a walk in the park really. That it is so in my case is thanks to the remarkable progress being made in the understanding and treatment of ischemic heart disease and the skill of the surgeons and cardiac teams over the last five years at Kings College and Darenth Valley hospitals. Accordingly, I will be making a donation to the British Heart Foundation based on the monies raised for the Upbeats.
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.
