Cancer counselling charity We Hear You (WHY) is gearing up for another busy festive season and is calling on the local community to get involved.
Communications officer Lucy McMahon reports, “We started Christmas a tiny bit early at We Hear You but in some style at our ‘WHY Winter Wonderland party, which was attended by 230 guests and raised an amazing £8,547.
“Thanks so much to event sponsors Orchardleigh Estate, Marston Foods, the Cotswold Wedding Company and The Milestones, all the many individuals and businesses who donated products and services, sponsored tables and everyone who came and celebrated with us!”
“Once again local artist Amy Yates has designed us a truly stunning Christmas card, with a view of Cheap Street in her signature style, as well as donating a percentage of profits from her 2020 calendar. The cards are for sale at £4 for 10 cards at Cards for Good Causes in St John’s Church and wherever WHY are through the festive season. They really are stunning and are limited edition for our 25th anniversary, so pick up a pack soon!”
“We’re busy putting the finishing touches to our 2019 Christmas Fair in Frome Town Hall on Saturday 30th November from 11am to 4pm. We ran our first Christmas Fair last year and it was a great success – delighted to welcome back many of the same stallholders this year selling gorgeous gifts and treats, alongside festive refreshments, activities for kids and a chance to meet Santa in our grotto. Many thanks to Frome Town Council for letting us hold the fair in their beautiful building.
“On Sunday 8th December we lace up our running shoes for the WHY Santa Dash, kindly sponsored by Frome Cricket Club and Frome Running Club. It’s selling fast but there are still places available: tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for kids, or a family of four can run for £25. There’s no minimum sponsorship but we’d love runners to try to raise £44, which is the cost of a counselling session at WHY.
“We can’t wait for the Good Afternoon Choir’s Christmas concert at Trinity Church on Monday 9th December at 2pm – huge thanks to the choir for supporting WHY again this year and raising almost £500 for us at their autumn concert.”
“We’re also very excited about Frome Chocolate Festival organiser Jo’s event for WHY on 12th December. Participants will learn to make traditional French mendiant chocolates from scratch, to give as a gift or just a gift to yourself, with a break for a chocolate fountain and some mulled wine…”
“We’re at Street Christmas Cracker on 14th December and holding bucket collections with our corporate sponsors Marks and Spencer Frome and Radstock Co-operative during December. We’ll all have a week off after that, unlike our tireless supporter Rachel Clark, who will still be running a mile a day for WHY until 31st December. We’ll be at Frome Rugby Club to join her for her final New Year’s Eve mile in the awesome challenge and hopefully see her smash her £10,000 fundraising target.”
“As always, the money raised goes towards much-needed support for children and adults having to cope with the devastating emotional impact of a life-threatening diagnosis. Thank you so much to everyone that helps us do it”
More details and links to book for WHY’s festive fundraising events can be found at wehearyou .org.uk/fundraising/. If you’re affected directly or indirectly by cancer or a life-threatening condition and would like to refer yourself for counselling, please call 01373 455255 or email info@we hearyou.org.uk