An appeal

A bit of a diversion today.  TheCornPoppy's day job is at QE2 Activity Centre which is a charity providing activity opportunities for people with disabilities.

One of our sources of income is charitable donations, so usually when we think of fundraising we are thinking about raising additional income for QE2 Activity Centre.  But we're not totally blinkered.  We know there are many other charities around doing great work. Plenty of others who need some help with fundraising.  Last Saturday we did a bit of giving back . . .

QE2 Activity Centre is a community.  It is made up of individuals who use our services, their families, people who volunteer here, people who work here.  Not to mention many friends around the country who have been involved over the past four decades.

It is an ever changing, ever growing community. Two of our staff had children late last year.  And I became a Grandpa. Our daughter gave birth to Lela at the end of November.  Normally my daughter is late for things but on this occasion she was early, about 15 weeks early.  Little Lela was born at 25 weeks gestation weighing less than 2lbs, with under developed lungs (and everything else). This meant that she spent her first four months in hospital and, without being melodramatic, she only made it through because of the amazing work of the staff at Southampton's Princess Anne Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.

This weekend a group from QE2 Activity Centre took part in Gung Ho! a 5k with added giant inflatable obstacles. Have a look on facebook. They were raising money as they ran, not for the Centre, but to buy equipment for the Princess Anne neonatal ICU.  It is impossible to put into words the value of the work that goes on at a unit like Princess Anne's NICU..  I was there on Christmas Eve when Friends of the Hospital were carol singing outside the door of the intensive care unit while inside doctors were performing life saving procedures.  The target for our team is a digital monitor.  There is still time to sponsor!

If you have ever enjoyed anything here at TheCornPoppy this is your chance to show your appreciation.

donate here

The team consisted of eight of the guys who are part of the GreenHouse and Team Q day services - Amy, Lenita, Adam, Dan, Nick, Kevin, Thomas and Craig - Centre staff Kerry and me plus former staff member Andy (who organised it) and Beccy. Everyone showed great team spirit, working together and keeping going on the hottest day of the year so far.    Well done Team QE2.  I, for one, am really proud of you all!

Phil Oates, Centre Manager