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Newsletter Edition 5<br />
A Huge Thank You to the Class of 2016<br />
Our small foundation needs the constant support of<br />
people like this to achieve great things<br />
Supporting people on your doorstep & across the globe
A note from Cheryl<br />
Running the Foundation on behalf of John May is a great honour and a job I am very<br />
passionate about. However being on the job alone can be a sobering experience and I<br />
could not do it without the support of some truly amazing people who make the tough<br />
days bearable. So our front cover is a nod to some of those very special individuals and<br />
businesses who donate their time, money and advice so that the work of the Foundation<br />
continues to thrive, despite the fundraising challenges we face as a small organisation<br />
competing with some pretty big fishes.<br />
Thanks to the following for your unending support, please feel proud of the important<br />
part you play in the success of LMF and keeping me sane!<br />
Front Cover photos in alphabetical order, Helene Abbiss, Claudie Andrews,<br />
Shambu Acharya, Dan Adams, Lee Ashcroft, Jo Barton–Taylor, Colin Benjamin, Konrad Breese, Tina Carney, Alan<br />
Cleverly O.B.E., Kerry-Anne Danniker, Cheryl D’Cruz, Lorraine Farmery, Alan Farmery, Iris Glock, Michael Gove,<br />
Sandy Grayson, Charlotte Grayson, Sarah Hills, David Jelley, Saroj Koirala, Robin Lennie, David Wilkin, Mary Luff-<br />
Wilkin, STIHL GB Mascot, John May, John May (Jnr), Christopher McCready, Alan Meeks, Emma Osbiston, Andy<br />
Paskell, Sapan Rai, Nick Ransom, Sarah Ransom, Darryl Ratiram, Lee Rawlings, Dr Bhola Rijal, Kapil Rijal, Rajni Rijal,<br />
Sangeeta Rijal, Tara Rijal, Rajendra Sherstha, Mahesh Singadia, Colin Stokes M.B.E., Rob Tidbury, Trudy Waite, Naomi<br />
Waite, Valerie White and Sophie Winkworth.<br />
John’s summary 2016<br />
As 2017 gets underway we look back on another year with mixed emotions, where we once again reached out<br />
to those in need both locally and across the world. With your generous support, we have completed three<br />
phases of work in Nepal. There is much still to do, but before we outline any new plans to help the people of<br />
Nepal, Dr Rijal will return to make an assessment of where we can make the most impact. Meanwhile please<br />
see the progress made in our four-page spread dedicated to Nepal.<br />
Closer to home we continue to support our three nominated local heroes, Parity for Disability, Surrey Young<br />
Carers and The Prostate Project. All of these continue to work in our immediate communities carrying out<br />
some truly amazing and heartfelt work to enhance the lives of many people from all walks of life.<br />
I cannot end this note without paying tribute to a great friend of mine, Alan Cleverly O.B.E. who passed away<br />
in 2016. He was there for me in my own personal hour of need when I lost Lisa in 2004. Alan was a valuable<br />
member of the Foundation who was there from day one. He supported the work we do right up to the very<br />
end of his own life, when Jane and family kindly donated funds from his funeral to LMF.<br />
I miss him every day, but I am grateful for the many, fond and memorable moments we both shared over the<br />
years. It goes to show that we all have to overcome our own personal waves of disaster, though how we cope<br />
may differ, but it is always easier if we have a helping hand or two that reaches out to guide us through the<br />
toughest of times.<br />
That is simply what my daughter’s Foundation embodies, and I hope that you will all hold out a helping hand<br />
to help us make other people’s lives that bit easier through the work we do in Lisa’s name.<br />
Many Thanks<br />
In Memory Of<br />
Alan<br />
Cleverly O.B.E.<br />
On the 7th March, we heard the sad news that a<br />
true friend and great member of the<br />
Foundation Alan Michael Cleverly O.B.E. had<br />
sadly passed away in his sleep after a long and<br />
courageous battle with cancer. A battle he fought<br />
with determination, passion, great faith and a<br />
tremendous sense of humour.<br />
A dear friend of John May, he was one of the first<br />
people to support John when he lost his daughter<br />
Lisa in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Alan<br />
rallied the troops in the UK and helped to raise<br />
funds, which enabled us to start the Lisa May<br />
Foundation. It was a natural decision to make<br />
him a valued member of the Foundation and he<br />
continued to support us to the very end. His true<br />
friendship and spirit will be sorely missed.<br />
Alan was a giant of a man in stature and his<br />
personality entered the room long before he<br />
himself arrived! His booming voice and laugh<br />
were infectious. In the world of politics where he<br />
worked, he was a larger than life personality, who<br />
took on many roles and won over many hearts<br />
and minds. He was also a fabulous auctioneer at<br />
many of our charity events, where he convinced<br />
many people to buy things they never wanted<br />
and certainly didn’t need!<br />
His spirit lives on through the many memories<br />
we have of him and the sterling work he did for<br />
so many. His familiar tones will forever be heard<br />
booming advice from on high wherever we are.<br />
May he rest in peace.<br />
We also wish to take this opportunity to thank his<br />
wife Jane and children Jonathon and Georgina<br />
for remembering us and kindly donating funds<br />
from his funeral and memorial service to the<br />
Foundation. This was a generous gesture that<br />
was much appreciated at a time that was so<br />
difficult for them.<br />
Welcoming new members to the<br />
Foundation.<br />
As we have just lost a formidable figure<br />
and member of the Foundation in Alan,<br />
we recognise the great loss and welcome on<br />
board not one, but two new valued members<br />
to join us.<br />
Our members are people that endorse and value the<br />
work we do as a charity. They also take a keen interest<br />
in the future of the organisation and pass on their<br />
observations and feedback, so that we may pave the<br />
way forward with their external views and expertise in<br />
mind.<br />
Out thanks must go to Jane Cleverly and Michael Gove<br />
(MP) for agreeing to join us this year.<br />
Jane Cleverly<br />
Jane is the wife of the late Alan Cleverly and has been<br />
a loyal supporter of the Foundation since it began in<br />
2005. Jane comes to us with a wealth of hands on<br />
experience, helping Alan to successfully organise<br />
and execute many a charitable function. She is a well<br />
respected lady who is keen to lend a willing hand to<br />
help whenever she can. We could not think of a more<br />
fitting person to carry on the good work that Alan<br />
started all those years ago.<br />
Rt Hon<br />
Michael Gove MP<br />
Michael Gove is a Conservative politician, who was<br />
Secretary of State for Education from 2010 to 2014<br />
and Secretary of State for Justice from 2015 to 2016.<br />
He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Surrey<br />
Heath since 2005. He is also an author and was a<br />
columnist for The Times. Michael has supported our<br />
work for a number of years and most recently kindly<br />
appeared in one of our Nepal appeal videos. He is<br />
also keen to see and hear more about the work we do<br />
locally in Surrey Heath. Another loyal supporter whose<br />
wish is to see more people given an opportunity to<br />
benefit from the support of a helping hand when it is<br />
needed most.
Nepal: One Year On<br />
The tragic reality of this terrible natural disaster was the death toll of 9,000 people and a further<br />
22,000 that were injured during the two earthquakes that struck Nepal last year.<br />
The first was on 25th April 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake which caused most of the damage and loss of life.<br />
A number of aftershocks followed, including one that measured 7.3 on 12th May 2015.<br />
The quakes destroyed or damaged over 800,000 homes in the western and central districts of Nepal. Nepal is<br />
not a rich country by any means and the geographical location and harsh terrain made assistance and recovery<br />
a logistical nightmare. The country declared itself to be in a state of emergency and asked for support. Financial<br />
aid was pledged from all over the world, but many obstacles stood in the way of progress from civil unrest<br />
between the borders of Nepal and India, to rocketing prices for materials and supplies.<br />
However, there is still so much more we could do.<br />
Dr Rijal will soon be returning to Nepal and will announce further details of a new phase, which will focus on<br />
helping the children of Nepal build a better more sustainable future which we hope to deliver via a new structured<br />
curriculum.<br />
When tragedy strikes it is so hard to know where to start, but when you step back, having given initial aid you see<br />
an opportunity to rebuild and improve is crying out to be actioned.<br />
Thank you for helping those in need across the globe.<br />
Please follow us on social media for updates.<br />
However, thanks to our amazing Team 21, led by Dr Rijal, your donated funds can actually be seen making a<br />
difference in the most remote of villages.<br />
The Team delivered aid personally, and used local Nepalese suppliers. Because of this we have not experienced<br />
the red tape that many of the larger charities have faced. Your money has reached people who are now rebuilding<br />
their lives.<br />
Dr Rijal and his team wish to say a very big thank you to everyone who contributed to the appeal. Together we<br />
have raised over £100,000. This has enabled us to complete all three phases that we set out to achieve.<br />
• Phase 1: Our Team 21 flew out to deliver immediate medical aid and distributed vital food supplies.<br />
• Phase 2: 155 shelter homes were designed, transported and built in remote villages across Nepal.<br />
• Phase 3: We constructed eight school halls to replace previously damaged schools to get the children<br />
back to school with pride.<br />
“I have been overwhelmed by the support for this appeal. I would like to thank everyone<br />
who has donated and enabled us to do so much” Dr Kapil Rijal<br />
All the build sites were chosen because our Team 21 had already visited them in phase one and two of our<br />
projects. It was fitting that we returned to give them more permanent support to ensure the sustainability of the<br />
children’s education.<br />
All the school halls are now up and running and have been provided with the basic supplies to start afresh. This<br />
could only happen thanks again to your generosity.<br />
School Name Area Project Completed<br />
Jageshwor<br />
Higher Secondary School<br />
Navajagritri Chandi<br />
Higher Secondary<br />
Ratna Rajya<br />
Higher Secondary School<br />
Ramashwori<br />
Secondary School<br />
Bhagwati Himalaya<br />
Higher Secondary School<br />
Bijaya Bhawani<br />
Higher Secondary School<br />
Durga<br />
Secondary School Ranchowk<br />
Bal Bikash Kendra<br />
Children’s Welfare Centre<br />
Borlang V.D.C<br />
No 7 Gorkha<br />
Asrang V.D.C.<br />
No 6 Gorkha<br />
Gorkha No 9 Gorkha<br />
Bungkot V.D.C.<br />
No 9 Gorkha<br />
Ghairung Batase V.D.C<br />
No 2 Gorkha<br />
Makai sing V.D.C<br />
No 8 Gorkha<br />
Saurpani V.D.C.<br />
No 8<br />
Chautara<br />
in Sindhupalchowk<br />
One School Hall has been built and divided to run two<br />
classrooms and we have also repaired the washrooms.<br />
One School Hall been built and divided to provide two<br />
classrooms, and new washroom facilities are now on site.<br />
Here we have built two school buildings to achieve<br />
four classrooms.<br />
One School Hall with two classrooms is now<br />
up and running.<br />
One School Hall with two classrooms is<br />
now open<br />
One School Hall with two classrooms is<br />
now fully utilised.<br />
One School Hall been built and divided to provide two<br />
classrooms, and new washroom facilities are all operational.<br />
We have restored and renovated the original building and<br />
pathway leading to the building.
My Nepal Trip<br />
by Christopher McCready<br />
Living in Camberley, I was aware of the great work that the Lisa May Foundation has done to support those<br />
affected by natural disasters and as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I am looking<br />
to commission in to the Royal Gurkha Rifles and had been wanting to visit Nepal for some time. Therefore,<br />
the next logical step was to get in touch with Cheryl to see if there was any way I could work with LMF in<br />
Nepal. An itinerary was put together by LMF, flights booked, and I was off on a journey of discovery.<br />
Armed with my camera, 10 footballs, 300 pencils, 50 colouring-in books, sweets and balloons, I was ready to<br />
spend a week dropping off donations to schools in Nepal. I was to arrive in Kathmandu on New Year’s Eve and<br />
then travel to a village called Ranchowk (near the epicentre of the earthquake at Barpak).Unfortunately, my<br />
flight was delayed and I missed my connection to Nepal, having to stay in Istanbul until 2nd January and my<br />
luggage had been mislaid. I arrived in Kathmandu late but in one piece, with supplies.<br />
I was met by Ashish Ghimire, the MD of Shilu Metal Works. He designed and built the LMF shelter homes and school<br />
halls. Ashish and Jeevan and Kamal were the perfect guides as they had all been instrumental in successfully<br />
planning the logistics of the Nepal Earthquake Team 21 expedition. I soon realised that viewing these natural<br />
disasters from the comfort of your home is distressing, but feeling the desperation and seeing how the people<br />
of Nepal have created homes in rubble, ruins and obliteration was humbling and yet breathtaking. Their positive<br />
attitude and love for life seemed to be able to put a façade on what they faced every single day. Never have I<br />
experienced such optimism.<br />
The final school was Vijaya Bhawani Higher Secondary<br />
School in Makai Singh. It was here that I saw how people<br />
from all over the world came together to help Nepal<br />
recover. Every school I visited required more classrooms<br />
but this school sought to fully restore itself to how it was<br />
before the earthquake and with more funding is looking to<br />
rebuild a library, playground, science room and a hostel as<br />
its students currently have to make a 4-hour round trip on<br />
foot simply to come to school every day. Once again the<br />
determination to learn amazed me.<br />
At each school the children and staff were all incredibly<br />
welcoming and there was such a positive focus to educate<br />
despite the tragedy that had come before. I was constantly<br />
amazed by how the schools have adapted to the situation<br />
they now find themselves in. Their ability to persevere<br />
only serves as a heartfelt reminder of how much more<br />
support they require and deserve in order to overcome the<br />
difficulties they face.<br />
I for one am determined to fundraise and support this<br />
worthy project and I hope that my findings encourage<br />
more people to help fund more amazing projects like this,<br />
in such remote locations for the people of Nepal whose<br />
resilience and positivity remain high.<br />
So much more could be done to help these amazing children who are passionate to receive an education,<br />
especially when all it costs is £40 to educate one pupil and £12,000 to build another School Hall.<br />
Chris<br />
The drive to the district of Gorkha to visit schools which the Lisa May Foundation continue to support was<br />
probably the most beautiful journey of my life with every<br />
corner revealing a different view of the valleys, rivers and<br />
snow topped mountain peaks. I cannot imagine how hard<br />
it was, to not only travel this terrain immediately after the<br />
earthquake, but to take supplies and deliver aid under such<br />
traumatic circumstances. I was in awe of Dr Rijal and Team<br />
21 for their courage and resolve to help people in these most<br />
remote locations.<br />
Five hours later we arrived at Ratna Rajya School in the village<br />
of Birinchowk where we were greeted by the Headmaster<br />
who showed me around and talked me through the progress<br />
they have made since the earthquake and the work they still<br />
need to do to restore the school further. Given the altitude<br />
and the freezing wind and rain it would be near impossible<br />
to teach in these circumstances without a building tough<br />
enough to stay up in this beautiful but exposed landscape. It is all relative I know but these children were eager<br />
to learn and took every single second of their lessons with such passion.<br />
The second school, Ramashwori High School, in the village of Bungkot, was once again exposed to the elements<br />
with classes forced to be held in makeshift shelters. At both schools I was fortunate enough to see the buildings<br />
which had been built thanks to the funds raised by the Lisa May Foundation and all those who support the<br />
charity. It was particularly useful to have Ashish with me as he designed and fabricated the trusses which form<br />
the skeleton of the new buildings. They had created hope when there was none and the resources to give the<br />
community the opportunity to see there was a tomorrow.<br />
On my last day we visited another two schools, the first being Bhagwati Himilaya High School in Gurung. Here I<br />
was able to see the level of damage the earthquake caused as what was left of the old school building was visible<br />
at the opposite end of the playground. The broken shell of this building was a clear reminder of the force that<br />
shook Nepal in 2015.
“<br />
It’s wonderful to support such a worthy cause and also, to see the<br />
amazing enthusiasm bringing our staff together so positively<br />
”<br />
Robin Lennie – MD<br />
It’s a Chain Reaction!<br />
Our great friends at STIHL GB powered their way through another year of fundraising for<br />
LMF. It seems be to a natural chain reaction for them to pass on their generosity from the<br />
Camberley HQ right across the country to their dealerships, where more super people<br />
emerged to donate throughout the year.<br />
They literally blew us away with their support and made us feel part of the STIHL family. Event after event we just<br />
kept finding out more about the staff’s skills and talents as they sawed to great heights. They have really carved<br />
their names into to the hearts of LMF and our charities.<br />
We now know why STIHL have successfully completed 90 years in business, they have the power, the drive and<br />
the batteries to just keep going! Their tool kit is extensive and their work-rate is second to none.<br />
Sadly, all good things come to an end and this year STIHL have decided to support Surrey Young Carers (SYC)<br />
as a standalone charity. We are sorry to see them go, but pleased we introduced them to a charity they feel<br />
passionate about to support in 2017.<br />
We have built great relationships that we know will last and hope the door is open for us walk back in sometime<br />
in the future. We would like to thank them for all they have done and wish them every success with SYC.<br />
The pictures gathered here tell some great stories and the quotes from their staff speaks volumes about who they<br />
are.<br />
Many thanks for a phenomenal two years and over £28,000 which has helped all of our causes and grown<br />
awareness of the work we do for others.<br />
“Each event has been different, very<br />
enjoyable & very well organised. We<br />
always receive updates on how much<br />
we have raised for the LMF which is<br />
great to know and spurs us on to raise<br />
more money!”<br />
Emma Alda – Field Sales PA<br />
“With the sun shining and a buzz<br />
in the air, the STIHL football game<br />
was a fun day for all. What made us<br />
cheer even harder and the lads kick<br />
and tackle even stronger was the<br />
fact that we were all their to support<br />
The Lisa May Foundation. It’s days<br />
like this that really depict how proud<br />
we are to be partners of such a<br />
deserving charity”<br />
Rebecca Rassie – PR Manager<br />
Loving your work guys xx<br />
“The skydive was completely<br />
out of my comfort zone<br />
but by far and away one of<br />
the best things I have ever<br />
done, topped off by the fact<br />
we raised loads of money for<br />
such an amazing charity! A<br />
day I’ll never forget!”<br />
Andy Paskell – Marketing<br />
“It’s been a real honour for me to have had the responsibility for STIHL GB charity work<br />
and I’m so proud of our ‘STIHL staff’ who have donated and supported. I couldn’t have<br />
imagined how successful, rewarding and enjoyable this whole experience has been to<br />
work on, we have made a difference to the lives of people that really need it.”<br />
Jo Barton-Taylor - Marketing
Our Local Charities Update<br />
Prostate Cancer (PC) is the biggest killer of men in the UK, sadly one man dies every hour from PC. We now<br />
know that early diagnosis and treatment does gives men a better chance of beating this disease.<br />
Parity run three day service centres in Camberley, Mytchett and Farnborough which support adults<br />
living with multiple and complex medical conditions and disabilities.<br />
This is an update from them on what we do to help them and what they are focusing on for 2017.<br />
Thanks, in no small part to the support of the Lisa May Foundation and the fabulous additional support of STIHL<br />
GB, Parity for Disability has been able to weather the storm and survive the difficult economic climate again this<br />
year. The Foundation stepped in to save the day for some new Parity attendees who wanted to take part in our<br />
activity week at Runway’s End Activity Centre in July, topping up funds so they could be included in the amazing<br />
week of outdoor adventure. A wonderful film was made by the Lisa May Foundation’s volunteer film maker Nick<br />
Ransom and Cheryl when they followed our week’s activities at Runway’s End. The film was made to air first at<br />
our 25th Anniversary dinner and auction in September, which LMF took a table at in support. The video is now on<br />
the LMF YouTube channel and our website too. <strong>Final</strong>ly, a very generous donation of £3,000 from LMF has helped<br />
fund Parity’s speech and communication programme. In 2017 LMF have already agreed to match fund our big give<br />
project to the tune of another £3,000.<br />
This small volunteer run charity has already made a great impact on the advancement of early diagnosis and treatment by<br />
funding vital research and equipment. Over the last few years they have set their sights much higher and have agreed to<br />
provide 50% of a £4m project to build a world class urology centre on the grounds of the Royal Surrey County Hospital. The<br />
other 50% will be funded by the NHS Trust.<br />
The Prostate Project team works closely with consultants, nurses, researchers and patients in order to understand their<br />
needs and provide funds to achieve better results.<br />
LMF have over the years donated funds, raised awareness and brainstormed with the charity for new ways to fund this<br />
build. Our latest project is an undertaking to make a short crowd funding video to showcase the work they do and how the<br />
new centre will benefit not just men and their families but anyone with a urological disorder.<br />
LMF are proud add to our support to their network and making the video gave us some rare inside access to see the<br />
consultants and researchers at work, even filmed in an operating theatre!<br />
We have interviewed a cross section of people affected by PC as this disease does not just affect men, it sends waves of<br />
worry through their families too. Please help us to raise more funds and awareness for this amazing charity.<br />
More people with multiple disabilities (we call them students) are coming to Parity now that our third day service<br />
centre in Mytchett is up and running. They’ve finished full-time education and are looking for services where they<br />
can keep building or at least maintaining the skills they’ve learned. Communication is one of the most important.<br />
Though most people don’t use speech, they can share thoughts, wants and needs through signs, symbols, eye<br />
contact, body language and a range of low tech or high tech devices. Some students use a voice communicator<br />
and our qualified speech therapist, Anna Kendall, is able to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks instead<br />
becoming more and more skilled at using their devices.<br />
This a case study of one of our students. “Patrick is a self-starter”. Patrick (not his real name) is 28 and has<br />
used a voice communicator for six years.<br />
“Communication devices are not built with people’s physical disabilities in mind,” says<br />
Anna, our speech therapist. However, Patrick is able to use one finger on his left hand<br />
to press the keys on his device.<br />
Anna has been working with Patrick on tailoring and using his recently upgraded<br />
communicator. She’s also training Parity staff to use it with him. Patrick’s language is<br />
increasing and he’s starting to construct sentences spontaneously. Whereas once he’d<br />
mainly refer to himself in the third person, he now usually uses ‘I’ much more.<br />
Patrick is also using the future tense, a huge step forward, putting together sentences like “Rebecca will help<br />
me paint”. He’s also beginning to spontaneously talk about others. For example, out of the blue, he used his<br />
communicator to say that another student was not at Parity that day and told us where the person was instead.<br />
Patrick is a self-starter and extremely sociable. He will be able to keep working with Anna and come ever closer to<br />
fulfilling his potential over the coming year, thanks to the generous support of the community. Sadly, we do not<br />
receive any local authority fees to fund our speech and communication work. Cheryl and members of STIHL GB<br />
have put a lot of hard work and enthusiasm into their fundraising and truly shown an interest in what happens<br />
at the charity and its services for people with multiple disabilities. On behalf of everyone at Parity, thank you for<br />
taking the time and caring so much. We need more people like this to boost our funds and support our work.<br />
Helene Abbiss, Parity Community Support Director<br />
“We are amazed at the creativity and focus which the Lisa May Foundation brings to all it does. Many would want to<br />
raise money for special good causes but John May in memory of Lisa set about actually doing it. We are delighted to<br />
be associated with such an inspirational team.”<br />
Dr Colin Stoke M.B.E Chairman of the Prostate Project<br />
Surrey Young Carers (SYC) provides respite opportunities for the young people who look after someone at<br />
home with a long- term illness or disability. Some look after parents or siblings with a physical disability, some<br />
care for family members with mental health issues.<br />
Over the last year we have maintained our support for SYC by funding activity days out and covering transport fees which<br />
eat up the majority of their funds. We also step in from time to time and put on seasonal events when their budget pots are<br />
dwindling.<br />
We continue to raise awareness of the work of the amazing sessional workers, by taking supporters to see them in action.<br />
It is far easier when you see firsthand what people do and at the same time you see just how important funds are to small<br />
organisations such as this. LMF took STIHL GB along to an activity day and they came away humbled to see such deserving<br />
children getting a rare day out to just be themselves. The children also enjoy the company of their peers who all share the<br />
same kinds of worries and responsibilities back at home.<br />
“In 2016 LMF have helped to support activities such as: trips to the cinema, meals out, a visit to Wisley and a bowling<br />
trip. These activities give the young carers an opportunity to enjoy a life outside of their caring role. Thank you LMF<br />
for all your support”<br />
Trudi Waite - Young Carers Senior Support Coordinator
Hello. I’m Nick Ransom and I have been volunteering with the Lisa May Foundation for<br />
over two years now. Despite studying a degree in Television and Radio at MediaCityUK in<br />
Salford, I still enjoy producing online video content for the charity. Over the years, I’ve<br />
worked with Cheryl to produce a number of videos for the charity’s YouTube channel. I’ve<br />
enjoyed capturing the many fundraising events and also being able to produce some minidocumentaries<br />
on the chosen charities we support.<br />
This year I really enjoyed working with the guys at STIHL GB. It was great to film them take<br />
part in both the charity football match and skydive jump. The skydive jump was particularly<br />
memorable – it was a unique challenge and being able to use the footage from the London<br />
Parachute School made for comprehensive coverage of the event. There were some amazing<br />
aerial shots and being able to tell the story of the day was incredibly satisfying. There were<br />
stacks of footage and the editing process was really enjoyable.<br />
When Cheryl explained Parity were taking their students to Runway’s End Outdoor Activity<br />
Centre, I jumped at the chance of producing a film containing the highlights of the week.<br />
It was a real honour to produce the video especially as it marked 25 years of the service.<br />
The work they do really is incredible and it was good fun to make a video with so much<br />
positivity and energy. As much as I love covering the fundraising events, being able to dig<br />
deep into the stories embedded within our community really makes me tick. I love meeting<br />
and interviewing new people and filming Parity’s activity week really was a great project<br />
to lead. I’ve since launched my own business, NR Media, and have worked with a variety of<br />
clients. As a uni student, I offer reasonable rates. Why not email me for a quote?<br />
Working with the Lisa May Foundation has been an absolutely joy and<br />
I cannot wait for 2017. I’ve been presented with so many opportunities<br />
and the amount of experience I’ve gained whilst volunteering here<br />
has been immeasurable. I can only encourage other people my age<br />
to put their skills to good use and have an amazing time whilst doing<br />
so. Congratulations on everything you’ve achieved LMF, here’s to<br />
another successful year.<br />
Nick<br />
Hello my name is Lauren Haughey and I am a student at Farnborough<br />
6th Form college.<br />
I have been volunteering for the Lisa May Foundation (LMF) since<br />
November after meeting Cheryl at our college’s volunteer Fair earlier in<br />
the year. I liked the idea of volunteering for a charity that helps people<br />
on both a local and international scale. This Christmas they helped clothe<br />
the homeless and sponsored several Christmas parties at their chosen<br />
charities. They have also continued to support Nepal even after the media stopped reporting.<br />
Through volunteering with LMF I have already helped with the creation of this newsletter,<br />
and have been given the exciting challenge of developing a new e-newsletter in college with<br />
LMF and our target audience will be the younger generation. Our aim is to inspire more<br />
people to volunteer and fundraise for this amazing organisation and other charities too!<br />
It’s a great opportunity to help others and gain experience in a field I’m really passionate<br />
about.<br />
Thank you LMF for this great opportunity, I look forward to working with you on these two<br />
exciting projects as well as many more creative writing opportunities in 2017 and beyond.<br />
Lauren x<br />
Are natural disasters increasing,<br />
and is it our fault?<br />
In recent years we’ve seen a series of natural<br />
disasters causing devastation through the<br />
destruction of lives and livelihoods across the<br />
globe. From the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004, to the<br />
violent earthquake that shook Nepal in 2015 - we’ve<br />
seen it all...Or have we? There’s a new question<br />
striking concern in our hearts. Are natural disasters<br />
increasing, and is it our fault?<br />
Using evidence found from historic data, satellite<br />
imagery and other sources we are able to identify<br />
a change in the global pattern of natural disasters<br />
and understand what’s going on. Accuweather<br />
shockingly says that “There were three times as<br />
many natural disasters between 2000 to 2009<br />
compared to the amount between 1980 and 1989. A<br />
vast majority (80%) of this growth is due to climaterelated<br />
events.”. NASA also agrees that natural<br />
disasters related to climate are surging, stating that<br />
there is an “increased risk of drought and increased<br />
intensity of storms, including tropical cyclones with<br />
higher wind speeds”. It is noticeable that all these<br />
hazards mentioned are linked to climate...But what<br />
is the link?<br />
The answer is simple: climate is changing and<br />
temperatures are rising. This means that Earth<br />
has the perfect conditions to stir up some more<br />
hurricanes, more water-stressed conditions, and<br />
more wildfires with bolstered power. The change<br />
in climate is down to a phenomena known as<br />
the ‘Greenhouse Effect’, meaning that gases are<br />
trapped in Earth’s atmosphere which cause our<br />
planet to swelter.<br />
The effect is actually a natural process, but the rate<br />
at which it occurs has been enhanced by human<br />
activity, causing it to be more harmful. This is a<br />
result of actions we take daily that emit greenhouse<br />
gas emissions, including gases like carbon-dioxide<br />
and methane. The BBC Weather Centre states that<br />
carbon-dioxide is “currently responsible for 60%<br />
of the ‘enhanced greenhouse effect’ “ and “Since<br />
the Industrial Revolution the concentration globally<br />
has increased by about 40%”.<br />
This demonstrates that there<br />
is a clear link between human<br />
activity and greenhouse gas<br />
emissions,<br />
image courtesy: blogs.edf.org<br />
due to the technological<br />
changes we made in the<br />
Industrial Period. This<br />
includes changes to<br />
transport, such as our<br />
increased use of train<br />
lines and cars which<br />
release carbon-dioxide<br />
emissions. In fact, the Scientific American Podcast<br />
states that in 2007 car usage was the second largest<br />
source of these emissions, releasing 1.2 billion<br />
metric tonnes carbon-dioxide into our atmosphere.<br />
It is therefore no surprise that gas emissions have<br />
soared by a record breaking “30 parts per million<br />
(ppm) in the past two decades”, as told by the<br />
American Chemical Society (ACS). Something<br />
we’ve never seen before, and something that is<br />
quite concerning.<br />
Another human cause of greenhouse gas emissions<br />
is our increased consumption of food at restaurants,<br />
such as burger-chains. One reason for this is given<br />
to the fact that many of these restaurants carry out<br />
deforestation in order to make space for the cows<br />
they breed to feed our mouths. In fact, Mongabay.<br />
com says that in the Amazon Rainforest “more<br />
than 60 percent of deforested land ends up as<br />
cattle pasture” demonstrating that a lot of trees are<br />
butchered purely for this purpose. Deforestation<br />
occurs on a massive scale and is another cause<br />
for enhancing our global temperatures through<br />
the Greenhouse Effect. This is because trees<br />
store carbon and transform it into food. So,<br />
when there are more trees, less carbon-dioxide is<br />
emitted into the atmosphere. The WWF says that<br />
“46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost<br />
each year—equivalent to 48 football fields every<br />
minute.”. This horrendous figure is responsible for<br />
“15% of all greenhouse gas emissions”, and as<br />
consequence conveys the effect humans have on<br />
our future in terms of increased temperatures and<br />
natural disaster severity.<br />
With this in mind, there is all the more reason to<br />
support the Lisa May Foundation. They generously<br />
give aid to those suffering from natural disaster<br />
devastation, and the positive result is clear to see<br />
in this newsletter.<br />
Lauren x<br />
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors<br />
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Christmas Goodwill<br />
Want to lend a hand and help out at the Lisa May Foundation?<br />
Here’s how you can help us!<br />
VOLUNTEER<br />
Perhaps you’ve got a passion for photography, or IT, or maybe you’ve got a knack for<br />
office admin. Regardless, our charity truly values its volunteers and supporters! Whether<br />
you’d like to help with just a single event, or have some influence over the creative ideas<br />
of the charity, we’d love to hear from you!<br />
FUNDRAISE<br />
Fundraising is the gathering of voluntary money contributions, and is a great way to help<br />
our cause. Here, you can find our Top 3 favourite fundraising ideas! Or simply give us a call.<br />
The list of ideas is endless and can be easy and enjoyable!<br />
• The Car Boot Sale- If you’ve got a bunch of old clothes, books, or things you no longer<br />
need, you could sell them at a local car boot sale. This is a perfect way to raise some<br />
funds for charity!<br />
• A sponsored event- Set yourself an aim and gather supporters to help you when facing<br />
the challenge. Why not grab your bike and cycle around the local area? Or, tick a box<br />
off of your bucket list and attempt something more adventurous. This could be a ‘Man<br />
vs. Food Challenge’, or potentially even a sky dive! The choice is yours!<br />
• Throw a party! - Invite over a few friends for a quiz night, garden party or pizza party!<br />
Collect donations from everyone who attends and help out LMF!<br />
Every year we love to go the extra mile to make<br />
the festive season special for our charities. It’s<br />
a time to think of others and whilst we may not<br />
know them well, feel it’s important to reach<br />
out and help other deserving causes when we<br />
can. Take a look at who we helped this year. We<br />
captured some memories to share with you.<br />
Parity are always coming up with creative ideas to keep<br />
their students active and smiling. The only thing that<br />
stops their creative juices is the funding pot! This year<br />
we offered to fund a different event at each of Parity’s<br />
three centres.<br />
St Martins had a pantomime troop pop in to perform<br />
for the students and their families, a great way to bring<br />
people together and make memories.<br />
Mytchett invited drum runners in to make some<br />
impressive music with the students joining in as band<br />
members. Great sounds and lots of smiles from staff,<br />
students and friends.<br />
Whetstone Road held a traditional Christmas party and<br />
enjoyed some fab food and drink in their festive centre<br />
all decorated by the students own handy work.<br />
The Vine Centre for the homeless - We reached<br />
out to help this great organisation which was struggling<br />
to get donations of clothes to help keep their clients<br />
warm over the harsh winter. They asked us if we could<br />
help and we went one step further.<br />
Calls were made to supporters and local businesses and<br />
we asked for new warm layers of clothes in various sizes.<br />
We wrapped them in Christmas paper and labelled them<br />
appropriately to make sure everyone had something<br />
new for Christmas in their size! A huge thank you to all<br />
volunteers and the companies who helped make this<br />
happen.<br />
Donations came from: Oakwood-PS,Cotton<br />
Graphics, STIHL GB, True Colours and Trudi<br />
Waite who collected at church.<br />
Santa’s helpers wrapped gifts: Thanks to; Ella, Sophie,<br />
Claudie, Sandy, Charlotte, and John who helped me<br />
deliver the presents to the centre in time for their<br />
Christmas lunch.<br />
“As a Foundation we appreciate the<br />
sponsorship of local businesses which<br />
enables us to help more people”<br />
Cheryl D’Cruz - LMF<br />
We’re easy to communicate with and value your support.<br />
SIMPLY GET IN TOUCH....HERE’S HOW!<br />
EMAIL: cheryl@lisamayfoundation.org CALL US: 01276 472000<br />
TWEET US: @LMFORG<br />
Surrey Young Carers - The LMF Christmas parties<br />
for our carers are always a hit, but this year was extra<br />
special. We offered to hire out a whole cinema so that<br />
the children had a private screening of the latest Harry<br />
Potter spin off movie.<br />
“I have watched all of the Harry Potter films<br />
and read the books too. I can’t wait to see<br />
this film.” and “Wow we have the cinema<br />
screen all to ourselves – a private screening,<br />
that’s brilliant.”<br />
These special children rarely get time out to enjoy<br />
themselves, and this was a real treat. We also provided<br />
Harry Potter(HP) themed goody bags with wristbands,<br />
badges and HP glasses of course! STIHL GB kindly<br />
added sweets to the mix and the evening was real hit<br />
with the 38 lucky carers who attended.
“<br />
As a local independent Camberley business, we were keen to support a local and worthwhile<br />
charity doing great work in the area. Having met the team at the Lisa May Foundation we found<br />
just that. Cheryl is a superb ambassador for LMF and the cause of supporting the community<br />
and raising funds. We are proud to support and will continue to do so indefinitely!<br />
Mark Sherlow – MD Catch Telecom<br />
”<br />
“<br />
LMF is a really effective<br />
charity as it is excellent<br />
at identifying those who<br />
need support and then<br />
raising funds to help<br />
Bruce Montgomery –<br />
The Prostate Project<br />
Frimley Park Hospital<br />
”<br />
T: 01276 472000 W: lisamayfoundation.org E: cheryl@lisamayfoundation.org<br />
Registered Charity 1108763