THE News Group’s Big Push Campaign is proving a roaring success – just weeks after it was launched.
Fundraising group The Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions have become the latest community organisation to buy a brand new wheelchair for Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley as part of our drive to raise £30,000 to fund 50 new state-of-the-art chairs for use by patients and frail visitors.
And thanks to the generous donation of £600 – the campaign, which we are running in partnership with the Dudley Group NHS Charity, has now topped £8,000.
Karen Rice, spokesman for the Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions Club, said: “When we read about the wheelchair campaign we felt it was something we could help out with as we always try to support local charities and people.”
The donation from the Lions comes thick and fast after Dudley Zoo bosses took along mascot Jambi the tiger to test out the chair they have recently sponsored.
Karen Phillips, fundraising manager for the Dudley Group NHS Charity, said she’s delighted at how the community has embraced the campaign and it’s not the first time the Lions have generously supported the hospital.
Last year the dedicated members donated an Accuvein machine to Russells Hall after a year-long fundraising campaign to buy the state-of-the-art machine. Karen said: “It was good to meet up again with Kate Parkes and Mike Blaxland from the Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions. They are regular supporters of the hospital charity and we are so grateful to them for sponsoring a wheelchair.”
A FORMER Kingswinford teacher and sportswoman – left wheelchair-bound by crippling MS – is set to head to Mexico for what she hopes will be life-changing treatment after kind-hearted friends and family rallied to raise more than £40,000.
Stacey Hurrell, a former geography teacher, charity marathon runner and top-ranking para-athlete, is set to undergo revolutionary HSCT treatment which aims to reset the immune system and stop it from attacking the central nervous system in a bid to regain her mobility.
Patients around the world have reportedly achieved excellent results after travelling to centres in Mexico and Russia for the treatment and 38-year-old mum-of-three Stacey (pictured below) feels it is her only hope.
She said: “Hopefully it will stop the progression of the disease – it does for around 80 per cent of people and 40 odd per cent receive some improvement. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll get a bit better. I won’t be able to run marathons but I might be able to walk again which would be nice.”
Big-hearted friends, family and members of the public have all helped to raise the money to fund the ground-breaking treatment at the Clinica Ruiz in Monterrey, Mexico, which involves harvesting and freezing stem cells from the bone marrow or blood, administration of chemotherapy to wipe out the patient’s blood cells and infusion of thawed stem cells to reset the immune system.
Stourbridge Rugby Club held a charity testimonial match in May which raised more than £12,000, while pupils and staff at The Kingswinford School, where Stacey worked as curriculum leader of humanities, raised money at a mufti day earlier this year.
Stacey, who was forced to quit her much-loved teaching job in January due to the illness, has also received £12,000 in donations to her JustGiving site, £6,000 from family and friends, £5,000 from kind-hearted members of the public and further £1,000 cash donations from family friends who heard about her plight.
Long lost friend Michael Mogan, from Coventry, (pictured below with Stacey and her children – Alex, 14, Loga, seven, and Evie, 10) also made a donation after hearing about the campaign and helped Stacey to secure around £6,000 in grants (£5,000 from Pedmore Sporting Club, £1,000 from the Eileen Hartfield Trust, £500 from Marston’s Brewery and £50 from Dudley Lions) bringing the amount raised to more than £42,550 towards the treatment.
The total bill will be around £45,000 plus £2,000 in follow up care in the UK as well as the costs of flying her carers to Mexico to assist her during her 28-day stay. Her sister-in law Vicki Hurrell will be at her side for the first three weeks and her dad David Rakowski will be at her side for the final 10 days.
Stacey, who is set to fly out on September 9, said: “The target has almost been reached, without all this support I wouldn’t be going.
“I am so grateful for the donations and well-wishes I have received and can never say thank you enough. I have had such fantastic support from family, friends and the community.”
She added: “It’s going to be a bit of a roller-coaster but I’m looking forward to getting it done.”
Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions have also pledged to make a donation for Stacey from the proceeds of a beetle drive on Saturday September 16 at Stourbridge Institute and a quiz night at the same venue on Saturday October 14.
On her return to her Dudley home, she will have to take care to avoid infection but once on the road to recovery she is hoping to take up volunteer work for Mary Stevens Hospice with the Macmillan Community Volunteers.
Following the recent Easter raffle run by Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions, the Club are delighted to announce that £1000 has been raised for brave little Amblecote girl Calla-Rose Cadman, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy, which has already resulted in her making over 120 visits to hospital. Calla-Rose’s Dad, Mom and siblings Lily and Alfie were at Barnett Hill Garden centre to make the draw on Saturday 19th March.
The winner of the Lions Super Hero handmade chocolate bunny was Ron Smith of Stourbridge, who said he will be sharing it with his grandchildren and that he is interested in coming along to a meeting to see what we are all about. The winner of the second prize a large handmade Easter egg was Genine Grealey, also of Stourbridge. The Lions club wish to thank everyone that took part and made this one of their best Easter raffles in years.
The cheque presentation took place last month and we were joined by Calla-Rose herself despite having had yet another ambulance trip to hospital, together with her Mom and Dad. The money is to go towards specialist equipment to help this lovely little girl.
Kingswinford & Stourbridge Lions have again been busy fundraising for another worthy local charity. Their Easter raffle this year raised £ 500 for the local children’s charity KIDS Orchard Centre, who are based on Lye By-Pass. Lion Ivor Caplan, Lions Welfare Chair, presented the cheque to Claire Jelf, Service Manager and Hannah Pennock, West Midlands Fundraiser at the centre recently.
KIDS provides flexible support packages to suit the needs of the individual and their family. This covers the age range 0 to 25 years and the entire range of disabilities. They help widen the leisure, social opportunities and access to other services in the community, support life skills and help provide short breaks, personal care, respite and sitting services. More information can be found on their website orchardenquiries@kids.org.uk or on 01384 897489
Lions would like to say a big thank you to the people of Stourbridge also the regulars and landlords of The Crown Inn, Oldswinford and the Unicorn, Wollaston who all contributed to the raffle.
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