Sheffield fundraisers gear up raise cash for charity

A Sheffield brownie group became “pirates” by helping to turn unwanted treasure into funds to support the work of Yorkshire-based national charity Heart Research UK. The 186th Sheffield Brownies, otherwise known as St Catherine’s Brownies, have been collecting old and unwanted jewellery which the charity then recycles and turns it into cash to support its work. The brownie pack collected 23 large bags of unwanted jewellery, containing broken watches, odd earrings and plastic beads which the charity auctions off to raise money to fund innovative and pioneering medical research as a part of its ‘Treasure your Heart’ campaign. As well as this, in the past the 186th Sheffield Brownies have completed their Healthy Hearts “interest badge”, making themselves aware of how to keep their hearts in good shape. To complete the badge, the brownies had to create a healthy heart poster, plan and prepare a healthy packed lunch, create healthy heart games and understand the importance of exercise and the dangers of smoking and the damage it causes to the heart. The brownies had a fun packed meeting welcoming Heart Research UK’s community fundraiser, Rachel Brooke to the meeting. Rachel said: “We are so grateful to the girls for helping us to raise money by collecting and donating their pirate treasure – well done me hearties! We are looking forward to going back into the Brownies’ schools to do more healthy heart talks. Over in Shiregreen, a group of Year 10 pupils at Hinde House School have been chosen to create kit designs for a cancer charity cycling fundraiser. The art students were given just one week to plan, design and finalise kit artwork for a group of riders from 4Challenge, a fundraising initiative in association with the Sheffield-based Internet Service Provider, ASK4. The designed kits will be used for riders from 4Challenge who are set to ride from Scotland to Sheffield this June, to raise money for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity. All the funds raised will go towards life-changing projects at Weston Park Hospital. People across the region are also gearing up to take part in charity cycling challenges. A Derbyshire man is set to pedal from St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield to Paris. Jake Ostrovskis is set to take part in the 450 mile biking challenge in memory of his late grandfather, Professor Eric Wilkes, who was a pioneer of the national hospice movement and the man responsible for the opening of St Luke’s, the first hospice outside London, in 1971. And the depart date of May 19 will provide an early start to the August 90th birthday celebrations of Jake’s grandmother, Eric’s widow Jess. Jake, who comes from Baslow in Derbyshire, is being joined on his 450 mile biking challenge by dad John and friends and fellow students Tom Spears and Jack Woods. Jake said: “I wanted to do something to celebrate my gran’s 90th birthday and I wanted it to be something big for both her and the hospice so a ride to Paris from Sheffield seemed like a very good idea,” said Jake, who is hoping to raise more than £2,000. He added: “It’s going to be an adventure that hopefully will raise a lot of money for St Luke’s at the same time.” To support Jake and the team simply visit www.justgiving.com/supportstlukes/ A pair of Sheffield friends and business colleagues are also preparing to take part in a gruelling cycling challenge. David, the Managing Director of award winning Sheffield commercial interior design and fit-out specialist Structural Interiors, and Steve, the company’s Contracts Manager, are both in training for the northern coast to coast cycle event Rate Race: The Crossing. And their three day 200 mile adventure will be raising at least £1,000 for South Yorkshire’s Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. Starting on July 1, David and Steve’s trek will take them coast to coast from Whitehaven to Scarborough on tracks that span through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors sampling some of the UK’s finest mountain biking and climbing to heights of 18000 feet. David said: “The money’s already coming in via our JustGiving page and that’s giving us the inspiration to make sure we’re ready for the challenge by the beginning of July, “We know that ever mile we complete will be making a real difference to the lives of Bluebell Wood children and their families.”