News

Staff and regulars at The Swan Inn in Thornbury are celebrating Christmas by taking part in Santas on the Run in support of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Landlady Sandra Davies has recruited a team of 20 so far who’ll be donning their Santa suits and making their way around the 2k route starting at Bristol Harbourside on Sunday 8 December. Sandra said: “I’m hoping more people will join us as the more the merrier! It’s for a great charity, the Santa suit is provided and it’s suitable for dogs, pushchairs and wheelchairs. We aren't running most of us will be walking!”

The 2k course

Since they began fundraising over 25 years ago, Bath Friends Group and Combe Down Friends Group have raised £200,000 for Children's Hospice South West (CHSW).

The Friends Groups are committees who get together on a regular basis to arrange events, collections and raise awareness of CHSW. They are a vital part of CHSW which needs around £10million a year to run its three hospices in North Somerset, North Devon and Cornwall.

Carole Andrews, Chair of Combe Down Friends Group, said: “I was first introduced to CHSW when I attended a coffee morning organised in my local area. After 2 or 3 years a

Four North Devon musicians are celebrating their birthdays next month with a Birthday Bonanza Concert to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West.

Steve Ruffe, Andy Knight, Mick Burke and Glenn Bower share 25 decades of music between them and will be taking to the stage at Appledore Social Club on Sunday, December 8 from 7.45pm.

The friends have been playing together in sessions and bands for many years; each has their own style, so expect anything from haunting originals to sea shanties, folk music and rock covers on the night.

As well as the live music, there will also be a silent

Young golfers from Tiverton hit winning form with a huge fundraising drive for Children’s Hospice South West.

More than 140 players took to the greens and fairways at Post Hill for the club’s Junior Captain’s Golf Day, raising more than £3,000 for the charity.

The 18-hole team event on August 22 was the highlight in teenager Joe Pike’s term as the club’s junior captain.

Visiting Little Bridge House near Barnstaple to present the fundraising cheque, Joe said he decided to support the charity after having previously had a tour of the children’s hospice as a member of the Withleigh Young Farmers’

On September 14 John Worner from Bower Hinton, Martock, celebrated his 80th birthday by taking part in a Wing Walk for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

A Wing Walk involves being strapped in a seat on the wings of a flying vintage aeroplane. It’s not for the fainthearted as the plane can reach speeds of between 80-100mph. John said he had been keen to take part in the experience for a while, although the first attempt had to be cancelled due to problems with the plane, luckily on the second attempt the weather conditions were perfect for the flight. He said: “I would do it again if I had

Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) is delighted to announce that Ocean Housing Group, based at Holmbush in St Austell, is generously supporting its upcoming Santas on the Run event at the Eden Project by being the headline sponsor of the event.

Santas on the Run is a 2km festive fun run which will raise vital funds to help children with life limiting illnesses that visit Little Harbour hospice at Porthpean for short breaks and respite. The event has received support in previous years from Ocean Housing Group, a not for profit, charitable registered provider of social and affordable housing

The team from Tamar Performance Centre at Lifton have recently handed over a donation of £155 to Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) following an Experience Day held at the centre.

Tamar Performance Centre is a state-of-the-art training facility and is home to an Endless Pool Elite, an indoor cycling zone and a strength and conditioning area. As well as fitness the centre also provides support with nutrition and has various levels of membership and services available for everyone from complete fitness novices to world record holders.

The centre held its Experience Day on 29 th September as

Funds from an annual charity ball have enabled Little Harbour children’s hospice in St Austell to buy a new vehicle for use by its Sibling Team.

Dave and Paula Whitfield and their family were supported by the charity when their two-year-old grandson Ethan died in 2011 after suffering from the incurable disease Tay-Sachs. Sadly Ethan died just one month before Little Harbour opened however Ethan, along with his parents Nicola and Simon, travelled to CHSW’s children’s hospice in Barnstaple; Little Bridge House for respite stays and support.

Since Ethan’s death his grandparents Dave and Paula

Kitley House Hotel was the stunning backdrop for Children’s Hospice South West’s (CHSW) most recent fundraiser, the Firewalk; which involved 70 people walking on fire on Thursday evening and hoping to raise over £12,000 in sponsorship.

This is the first time that CHSW has put on a Firewalk fundraising event in Plymouth and it proved extremely popular with places flying out fast for people to take part in this unique event.

The event was put on by UK Firewalk and involved participants taking part in a training session led by Firewalk Guinness World Record holder Scott Bell. With an upbeat

A Devon County Councillor and six local businesspeople spent the day ‘behind bars’ at Exeter Castle to help raise thousands of pounds for Children’s Hospice South West.

Bemused shoppers watched as Exmouth town crier Roger Bourgein led ‘The Exeter Seven’ along Exeter High Street to herald the start of the charity’s Jail and Bail fundraiser.

The ‘jailbirds’ were then hauled before a judge, charged with fictitious crimes, thrown in the slammer and tasked with raising bail for their release.

Fremington Rural county councillor Frank Biederman and fellow prisoners Lee Randal-Pybus of Devon