In this issue

The Boys’ Brigade and Children’s
Hospices UK – Together
making the most of life
As you know, to celebrate
125 years, The Boys’ Brigade
will be supporting Children’s
Hospices UK. Aiming to raise
£125,000 for children’s hospice
services across the UK, we need
the enthusiasm of every Boys’
Brigade member to make this
partnership a success. Below are
some fundraising ideas to help us
reach this ambitious target and
some information on how this
money will help an estimated
20,000 life-limited children, and
their families, across the UK.
How can I raise money for my
local children’s hospice?
Get involved in our Swim for Kids
event this October. This swimathon
is a brilliant opportunity for you and
your Company to get sponsored
and raise money for your local
children’s hospice. Simply set a target
for yourself or your team and dive in.
Billy’s Story
Billy is Caroline and Terry’s youngest child
(8) – they have four other children.
Billy has been using Little Havens since
just after it opened. He has A Genesis of the
Corpus Collosum, which means he has multicomplex
epilepsy, is brain blind, profound
developmental delay and cerebral palsy.
Billy is totally immobile and dependent and
is fed through a tube in his tummy. Caroline,
his mother, tells his story:
“I had a normal pregnancy, but two days before
Billy was due to be born I fell down the stairs.
In hospital I was told I was fine and I could go
home. One day after my due date I felt so ill I
thought my head would explode. I had actually
haemorrhaged. The birth was traumatic and Billy
had to be resuscitated. Despite this he wasn’t taken
to Special Care and stayed with me.
When Billy was three weeks old I knew something
was wrong. He couldn’t bear to be touched. During
a check-up with my youngest daughter, the health
visitor had a look at Billy and called a doctor
straight away and it just snowballed from there.
My little boy had to undergo so many tests once
he was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital
– neurological examinations, MRI scans, genetic
Making a difference
• £1 could pay for a child’s
oxygen mask
• £5 could pay for a telephone
conversation at 3am with a parent
who needs to talk
• £10 is the amount it costs for the
time taken to change a drip
• £25 could pay for music therapy
session for one child
• £100 can pay for an evening’s
respite care
• £879 could pay for a child’s respite
care in a hospice for one day
• £1,000 provides 70 hours of
hospice at home care
• £3,000 could pay for children to
receive a year of play therapy from
a children’s nurse throughout
school time giving their mum and
dad a much needed break
• £15,000 is the amount it costs
for one Care Assistant
• £35,000 could ‘adopt a nurse’
for one yea
testing. We
were given the
diagnosis: his
condition was
terminal and it
was unlikely he
would see his
first birthday.
It was
obviously a
lot to take in.
Some bits
you put away in your brain until you can deal
with it. If you’re lucky enough you get to come to
somewhere like Little Havens. When our referral
to Little Havens was accepted, the enormity of
our situation settled in. Even though the format of
children’s hospices can be explained, many people
find it hard to grasp the concept.
Little Havens is our second home. At home
we have everyday chores to do like housework,
shopping, school dinners, cooking. At Little
Havens we can live. We’re not considered different,
we can be normal.
We know ultimately why we’re here but that
thought isn’t a burden to us. We’re living, not
dwelling. The end-of-life service is just a small
part of what Little Havens does. I actually came up
Children’s Hospices UK is
organising the world’s largest
triathlon, to take place on
9th and 10th August 2008.
A triathlon is a continuous race
comprising a swim, cycle and
a run.
Why not encourage your company
members to join around 12,000
competitors in this exciting
challenge. For race entry options,
costs and details, take a look
at the official London Triathlon
website to decide which distance
to opt for.
To reserve your place, call
Tracy on 0117 989 7825 or
tracy@childhospice.org.uk
with the Little Havens strapline – Love, Laughter
and Life. That is what this place is all about.
At Little Havens Billy really enjoys and responds
fantastically well to music therapy. During a visit
by a Chinese Restaurant to celebrate their country’s
New Year, Billy was reacting to the sound of their
drum while the dragon danced around. I watched
my son. I saw “him” – not his illness, or seizures
or medication, just him.
We also go on trips to the circus, seafront,
Legoland, swimming and even flying. These
are things that we couldn’t either afford to or
practically do. It has also given our other children
opportunities. Every single child is treasured, not
just the poorly ones, but siblings too.
Sometimes in the morning you can hear prayers
being said in the Chapel. You don’t have to belong
to any religious denomination, but the thing that
ties us all together is our faith in Little Havens.
I cannot praise the staff at Little Havens enough.
The structure is like an extremely sophisticated
dance. Each member of staff is a different step
and it comes together.
I cannot imagine a life without Little Havens
because it has been Billy’s life since he was born.
I am a parent, I have parents, but the ethos and
foundations that Little Havens was built on is like
an even bigger parent. We come here to Live.
125th Anniversary Walk
It seemed like a good
idea twelve months
ago, but as the days
drew closer a few doubts
crept in. 125 miles over six
days to celebrate the 125th
anniversary and raise
funds for the Palm in Palm
Project and Basic School
provision in Jamaica.
The Mall
At 11.00 on Thursday 22nd
May I set off from Trafalgar
Square and headed up The
Mall. It was kind of the Band
of Her Majesty’s Guards
to accompany me on the
first leg as they marched
towards Buckingham Palace.
Knightsbridge led to South
Kensington and crossing
the Thames at Wandsworth.
Final leg of day 1 at Worcester Park
A good pace resulted in
reaching Worcester Park in
time to be joined by members
of the Company on the last
leg of the day to Sutton.
The second day saw me
dropped off in Elstree to walk
Day 2 reaching Watford
the route of the A41 to
Watford to join the Grand
Union Canal on its route
to Hemel Hempstead
and return to Felden for
Firm Foundations.
I returned to Northampton
after the festival for the
longest day of the walk.
Start of day 3 in Northampton
Twenty six miles lay ahead
visiting the eleven Companies
of the town. I was joined by
other hardy walkers for the
day and welcomed at
a number of the churches
– a surfeit of tea. At the end
we all shared a meal and
I was able to explain a little
of the Cameroon project to
those present.
Greeted in Northampton
At 11th Northampton HQ
In Leicester & getting wet
Wednesday took me to
Leicester and again a route
that joined the Companies in
the city starting in Blaby and
finishing in Loughborough.
This was the only day of the
walk which saw rain, with
the middle of the day being
particularly wet. I was very
grateful for company on the
walk and friendly greetings
at a number of churches.
Thursday saw me in
Nottingham joined for the
day by a number of walkers.
It had been arranged that
we should meet the Lord
Mayor at the City Hall at 2.15,
resulting in a rather fast pace
with the last quarter of a mile
requiring running. This was
interesting on about the 100th
mile of the walk. We managed
to arrive just in time, were
Meeting the Lord Mayor
in Nottingham
welcomed by the Lord Mayor
and explained the purpose
of the walk to him.
Rest stop in Nottingham
1st Birmingham Company
The last day of the walk
was in Birmingham with a
route from Sutton Coldfield
to Shirley. The end was in
sight and we maintained a
steady pace. It was good
to meet the young men of
the 1st Birmingham in the
shadows of the Aston Villa
ground. I managed to join in
their football game, but I think
my team found me a liability.
The afternoon was the final
slog with the last eight miles
from the city centre to Shirley
arriving at 5.00pm.
The end at Shirley
Methodist Church
The walk was complete
and apart from a few blisters
I was still in one piece, much
to the surprise of some. The
venture could not have been
possible without the help
of so many people and I
would like to thank all those
who planned routes, walked
with me, opened churches,
provided refreshments, gave
words of encouragement and
sponsored me. Your support
was very much appreciated.
So far over £3,500 has been
raised for the two causes
and this will make a real
difference in the lives of
children and young people.
Steve Dickinson
80 The Boys’ Brigade Gazette July 2008 July 2008 The Boys’ Brigade Gazette 81