It's Time to Jazz Things Up!

So many people have been getting vocal and proactive about this month’s cancer awareness topics; it’s been truly refreshing to witness. Campaigns such as “Teal Toes” in support of Ovarian Cancer Awareness and “Testing Choices” for Prostate Cancer have been surging through the internet offering advice, support and fundraising ideas. March is also Brain Tumour Awareness month, so for more information on the talks, campaigns and research that Brain Tumour UK have set up, visit their official webpage: http://www.braintumouruk.org.uk/brain-tumour-awareness-month-2011-0.

Do you remember when we last updated you on the Norfolk Business Challenge? A lot more has happened for the Norfolk team since then, with the most recent sign-ups being “Mapus-Smith & Lemmon,” a local accountancy firm who are training for a massive three-day 100 kilometre challenge with a target to raise £5,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support! Vicky Ling, who is one of the event’s organisers, said “members of the public are already donating to show their support which is fantastic. In fact, we believe if our clients support us and make a donation we could easily exceed our target.” The Mapus Charity Challenge kicks off from the 30^th of April, so if you’re nearby, make sure clear some space in your diary to show them some support! To donate, visit their Just Giving page here: http://www.justgiving.com/mapuscharitychallenge2011 or call Vicky Ling on 01553 774761 for more info.

Over on the other side of the Macmillan Anglia zone, the Cambridgeshire crew have organised “The Cool Jazz Event,” which is taking place on the 14^th of May 2011. If you’re a serious John Coltrane fan, or you find yourself often scatting to a Miles Davis tune, head on down to the Comberton Leisure Centre! Tickets are available from the Millers Music Centre.

There are only nine days left in March, so let’s make these count and pack as much cancer awareness info, and fundraising ideas as we can until April swings by. Don’t forget, your input is always welcome, so if you have an idea that you want us to hear about, just give us a tweet at www.twitter.com/macmillananglia!

There's a spring in our step...

Regardless of whether you are interested in Politics or not, it’s difficult to avoid the subject. We are living in an age where change is constant. Turn on the news and you’ll see back to back stories of rebellions, political shifts and the like. Recently, the subject of cancer has been massively influenced by politics in the UK, with the recent Welfare Reform Bill reading. If these laws are passed, patients living with cancer could find it very hard to financially support themselves and their family. This is why we have set up a special webpage designed for you to keep up to date with our latest campaigns, and what you can do to influence them: http://e-activist.com/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=70&ea.campaign.id=1294. We need your support.

James Golding

We support you, too. Which is why tomorrow, we will be hosting a helpful live chat on our website with the very inspirational James Golding. After being diagnosed with cancer, James and his doctors still fought all the odds and pushed on. Sign up and have a chat with James if you’re looking for advice on how to cope with cancer, fundraising ideas, or answers to what it’s like to triumph through a cycling event! All the details are here: http://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/community_news/archive/2011/03/17/web-chat-james-golding.aspx

Essex has been thriving in its fundraising efforts – where a few weeks ago Mr. Simon Moon from Chelmsford has been holding events, in memory of his mother, the late Mrs. Heather Moon who passed away in August 2009. Simon has raised over £4000 so far, through events such as local auctions, pub quizzes and curry nights. His most recent auction featured prizes such as Take That tickets (which sold for £300) and Peter Kay tickets (which sold for £320). It must be said however, that the night’s greatest success was getting a Scotsman to wear an England shirt for £65!  Simon plans to support us even more throughout the coming months, by taking part in a Triathlon as well as holding a cheese and wine night. If you live close to Chelmsford and would like to attend one of Simon Moon’s events, contact us or watch this space for more information.

With Spring approaching now, we’re dusting off our walking boots and getting ready to explore the great outdoors whilst raising money for people affected by cancer. Visit this link to check out which walking events are being held near you http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Fundraising/Walkingevents/WalkingEvents.aspx. It’s all going to kick off in April, with the “Alton Water Spring Walk” in Norfolk (on the 10^th of April) being just one of the many walking events being held this year.  It is being organised by the “Rotary Club of Ipswich Orwell” and the great thing about this is that you can start at any time between 9am and noon – which is perfect if you like your Sunday lie ins! The “Rotary Club of Ipswich Orwell” donates one third of all sponsorship money raised to their chosen charity – this year it’s us! If you would like some more information, please contact the Norfolk team on 01603 724360 or email Mr. Philip Morgan directly at philip.morgan25@btinternet.com.

Now is the time to get signed up and registered for our events, because 2011 is a year for change. Whether it’s you looking to change up your own routine by doing something different and joining a Macmillan event, or whether you want to transform someone else’s life for the better, this year will be boundless in terms of opportunities.

No smoke, but plenty of steam and spice!

 It’s officially ‘No Smoking Day’ today – which could be a bit of an anti-climax from yesterday’s pancake fiesta! However, it is just as important as Shrove Tuesday. Smoking is the greatest cause of lung cancer in the world, and what better way to prove that quitting can be done by taking part of a nationwide ‘No Smoking Day’? For more information on what you can do you help lower the risks of lung cancer and start a non-smoking movement, visit this website: http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/smokers/index.htm. Also, if you’re a young smoker living in Essex and need help kicking the habit, there are weekly sessions held at the Colchester Cornerstone in Sir Isaacs Walk on Thursdays between 4pm and 5pm.

Speaking of Colchester, its very own Macmillan Fundraising Group is hosting a massive Charity Curry Night on the 14^th of April at the Ivory Spice Restaurant. The lovely Jan and Adrian Dearsley have organised the event to include a delectable Indian buffet as well as guest-performers ‘Richard and Mark’, who play everything from Glenn Miller to Take That! The event begins at 7pm and ends at 10.30pm, and tickets are selling fast at £16.95 each. For more information on this, please contact either Adrian or Jan via their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com//group.php?gid=48233319917.

Last week we gave you a rundown of the fundraising successes within the Norfolk and Suffolk community. More events are to come from Norfolk, such as the Bure Valley Railway Walk which is being held on the 9^th and 10th of April. This is the only walk where you’ll get the opportunity to catch a narrow-gauge Bure Valley steam train to your starting point, then take a picturesque stroll back along the railway path. You can choose to take a 3, 6, or 9 mile walk, and dogs and children are very welcome to come along. When you've finished your walk, you'll receive a certificate as a small token of our appreciation and enjoy some complimentary light refreshments along with your fellow walkers. To register online, visit http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Fundraising/Walkingevents/WalkingEvents.aspx. Alternatively, you can sign on for the walk by calling us on 01603 724360. Don’t forget to check out our twitter (@MacmillanAnglia) as well as the Macmillan Cancer Support in Norfolk (@Macmillannfk) for real-time updates.

If you’re interested in all things regal, then the fast approaching Royal Wedding could be a perfect opportunity for you to throw a fundraising party in the name of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Watch this space, as we will be cooking up tons of ideas for a street party in their honour, too. We want to hear from you so that all of our efforts can be combined to create the most memorable street party in Anglia, of 2011. This is Macmillan Cancer Support’s Centenary year, so we’ll be sure to pull out all the stops for every one of our fundraising events – come join us and be part of something big.

 

Fashion, Food and Fundraising

It’s Friday! So much has already been accomplished within the first week of March and we really would like to start this entry off with a big thank you to everyone who has been tweeting, blogging, and shouting about Macmillan Anglia.

There has also been so much support in promoting Cancer Awareness Month, where people have come together and made simple things like wearing teal nail polish, into big charitable statements.

We hope you enjoyed going through our Fundraising Ideas of the Month, too. If light-bulbs went off in your head as you read through it, please send through any suggestions at www.share.macmillan.org.uk.

Speaking of accomplishments, Norfolk and Suffolk fundraisers have been very successful with the Centenary Challenge. The Centenary Challenge is a big venture to raise funds for Macmillan’s 100th Anniversary; we’re asking 100 local businesses to sign up and raise £1,000 each throughout 2011. Whether it be through staff holding events, taking part in a sponsored challenge or by simply making a donation, there are lots of ways to get involved. So far, the results have been impressive, with 50 sign-ups in Norfolk and 45 in Suffolk.

‘The White Horse’ & ‘The Jolly Sailor’ in Norfolk organised a massive carol singing event; it was held in the public bar over Christmas and included a tombola raffle. In total, it raised over £1,505 for Macmillan Cancer Support.


Luke Wheeler, Macmillan Cancer Support Fundraising manager, said, ‘The work we do is entirely impossible without the generosity, ingenuity and passion of people like the staff at The White Horse & The Jolly Sailors who arrange this outstanding event. Their support really will go a long way in helping to improve the lives of people affected by cancer”.

The team at ‘Annie & Boo’ in Holt will also be doing their part for the Centenary by hosting a fashion show on Thursday 24th March at the Pinewood Leisure Centre. They are aiming to raise over £3,000 for Macmillan with a variety of attractions including: catwalk shows, image consultants and hair dressing. You can call them on 01263 712020 for information about tickets.

In Suffolk, the local ‘Willow Café’ in Hailsham has proven that local businesses can be equally as powerful as large ones, simply by turning fundraising into an everyday occasion. Not only do they donate a percentage of their own daily proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support, they also organised an event for Pancake Day and have received some support from Trust Funds. ‘Willow Café’ already managed to raise £750 in just a few months!

Be sure to watch this space for further updates as to how the Challenge is progressing in East Anglia.


Also, just because it is focused on businesses does not mean that you as an individual cannot help out as even the smallest gesture such as paying for a bowl of soup at ‘Willow Café’ means an extra 20p for Macmillan Cancer Support – and it only takes just £25 for one hour of care for a cancer patient. No matter the size of your action, just remember that if we merge all our efforts we can make a massive difference to people’s lives.

Making March Matter.

            The 1^st of March isn’t exactly a public holiday, but here at Macmillan Cancer Support it marks the brand new start of a month filled with refreshing ideas and the latest issues that both we and our supporters can influence.  As mentioned in our last post, March is Prostate and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. If you want to find out more about the causes, symptoms and treatments of these, our official website holds a massive A-Z on the different types of cancer for your benefit; you can find that information here: http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/AtoZ.aspx.  In the meantime, you can embed the “BEAT Widget” (http://www.beatonline.info/share) to your blog or homepage, even forward it to your friends and in turn, do your part to spread the word about Ovarian Cancer.                          

For those of you want to get right into the crux of things and are looking for more unusual or exciting ways to fundraise, this is the spot to get some ideas. March is home to Pancake Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Sir. Elton John’s Birthday! So coming up with new ways to donate and make March matter should be a piece of cake. Here are some ideas to set things in motion:
       FOR PANCAKE DAY (8/03/2011)            

• Want to add a little ooh là là to Pancake Day? Host a crêpe party at work. Get everyone to dress in a sophisticated Parisienne fashion, then make your pancakes French-style with fruit and cheese – or even flambée them with liquer. Just make sure you’ve got a fire warden on hand. Each guest pays a £1 per crêpe.

• Alternatively, try a pancake race. The contenders all have to toss their pancakes as they run and catch them in their frying pans. Get the spectators to pay £1 to watch.

ST PATRICK’S DAY (17/03/2011)

• Celebrate the Emerald Isle in style by embracing all things green. Simply donate £1 to wear your favourite green item to work – or pay £2 to opt out if it’s really not your colour. From green tops and trousers to green nails or wigs, anything goes. Even a fetching green leprechaun hat.

• Enjoy a musical odyssey in your workplace and play Irish music all day long. Everyone pays £1 to put their favourite Irish tune on the stereo. The choise is yours, whether it’s The Pogues, Sinead O’Connor, The Boomtown Rats or U2. And, while you’re at it, why not take bets on which of your colleagues will choose Westlife? There’s always one.

SIR ELTON JOHN’S BIRTHDAY (25/03/2011)

• Throw a flamboyant, Elton-esque party at work. Charge everyone £1 to come to work decked out in their most outrageous outfits and garish glasses, then spin tunes from the Rocket Man all day long.

Why not try raising money to tie in with Cancer Awareness Month, too? You could wear teal for a day in the workplace for Ovarian Cancer, or sky blue for Prostate Cancer.

We also love having input from everyone in different areas of Macmillan; in fact, we can’t produce what we need to without your help, so if you do have any suggestions please pass them on to us http://www.share.macmillan.org.uk/ or contact us directly on our Twitter page: www.twitter.com/macmillananglia. We also really want to let you in on our day to day activities. Throughout the months, we’ll give you a gist of the goings on in each of our offices – naming new fundraisers & volunteers, keeping you posted on our latest corporate partnerships and letting you know what other wacky things the Macmillan team and our supporters are coming up with to keep fundraising exciting.