Category: Footsteps Foundation

Well done to all the children who have just completed the first 3-week session of the year! The year is off to a flying start with therapy sessions getting booked up fast and many sessions for 2016 full. Please see if you are eligible for a grant from Footsteps Foundation. Fill in grant forms for your therapy sessions and Footsteps Foundation can pay up to 90% of the cost.

Winners of our summer raffle, kindly drawn for us by Ethel from our local Co-op, are:

1st prize       Kelly Peart

2nd prize    Janice Bain

3rd prize    Tracey Christie

Wittfest 2015 run by The Plough Inn at Long Wittenham has raised an incredible £1003 for Footsteps. This will fund around 20 hours of therapy at The Footsteps Centre. Huge thanks to the organisers

Andy, Pete Angus and Julian will be cycling 185 miles in aid of Footsteps Foundation next weekend. Come along and show your support while you do the weekly shop at Sainsburys Heyford-Hill!

Between the hours of 10am-4pm, the four cyclists will attempt to ride 185 miles in just 6 hours on static bikes in the foyer of Sainsbury’s Heyford Hill.

185 miles is the target which represents the 185 three-week intensive therapy sessions which were funded by Footsteps Foundation in 2014.

Three of the challengers are fathers of disabled children that benefit from Footsteps therapy and the other is the husband of the Footsteps Centre Manager.

They would appreciate the support and donations of the general public on Saturday 21st March. Challenging events like these are difficult but extra motivation comes from knowing that you are supporting disabled children, by funding much-needed physiotherapy.

GOOD LUCK BOYS!

If you can’t show your support in person but would like to make a donation towards the dad’s fundraising efforts, please make a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/footstepsfoundation/

 

Seven-year old Harry recently attended his second three-week session at Footsteps. It appears that this alone wasn’t a big enough challenge as Harry decided to use his session to do a sponsored walk and raise money for HABIT, a charity set up to fund physiotherapy for Harry and other children in the future.

He counted all the steps which he took on the treadmill while in the ‘Spider’, and his friends and family pledged him money per step. At the end of the three weeks, Harry achieved an incredible 1891 steps and the money is still coming in.

Harry’s mum Hilary says: “It has not only motivated him to really work hard right at that point of the daily session when he has reached his limit, but has also helped to set us well on our way to raising the money for his next session later in the year. Harry’s sponsored walk has been the first event of what we hope will be many to continually raise funds to pay for at least two sessions a year and if the fundraising goes well we hope to be able to provide grants for equipment to other children in our locality with brain injuries.”

WELL DONE HARRY!

 

Mostly Books in Abingdon chose to support Footsteps Foundation through their annual quiz night which took place last month. We rounded up a team of amazing volunteers who baked delicious treats and helped us to run the bar on the night. Through ticket and raffle sales and the bar, we raised an incredible £1,025 which will fund over 20 hours of therapy for children at Footsteps. Thank you to the team at Mostly Books and our wonderful volunteers.

Nicki Thornton from mostly Books said:  “Our annual Book Quiz is a really popular community event and it’s great to support such a fantastic and worthwhile local charity. We hope the money raised can be put to good use keeping up the excellent work the charity does. We appreciated all the hard work that the volunteers put into the refreshments and the hard work on the night, it really enhanced a fun evening and we are glad that it raised lots of money too.”

Christmas fundraising was a breeze for the team from Corney & Barrow Bars who are one of our corporate partners this year. They raised over £5,000 for Footsteps Foundation by asking people to add £1 to their bills in December. What a fantastic idea! A big thanks to the team at Corney & Barrow, and to the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust who were responsible for introducing us to C&B.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is a national law firm dealing with a full range of legal services, from birth injuries, through to challenging local authority decisions, and estate planning.

Some Footsteps families are already using their legal services and the firm has generously donated prizes and sponsored the printing costs of our brochures and leaflets. If you are interested in seeking free legal advice, or would like more information please visit http://www.irwinmitchell.com/ to find your nearest office.

The Footsteps Centre has recently had a lovely new conservatory built onto the back of the family room. Thanks to Premier Lifestyles Conservatories, we now have a larger, lighter and more spacious area for families to relax in. It has certainly been well used since it was finished in July and the families are enjoying the extra space.

The building of the conservatory is part of an on-going fundraising project supported by Premier. The local company have already raised £500 towards the building costs and they hope to raise even more over the course of the year. Here’s what business owner Alan May had to say:

“I am truly delighted to be partnered with Footsteps.  The work you do is remarkable and to see the results you achieve with the children is wonderful.  I hope that Premier can play an important part in helping with fundraising.  If everyone can spread the word that 5% will be donated for any business introduced through Footsteps, we should achieve a lot together. “

 

 

So, if you are thinking about getting a conservatory built, or are interested in getting new windows, doors, orangeries, and garden rooms we would certainly recommend the services of Premier Lifestyle Conservatories. You can contact them directly for a quote at quotes@premier-conservatories.com and be sure to mention Footsteps Foundation, as 5% will be donated to our valuable work.

Alan and the team at Premier have also kindly donated a number of the adorable looking Baxter Bears. We have some at Footsteps which are on sale for £10 each. £5 of this will be a donation to Footsteps Foundation. Please get in touch (info@footstepsfoundation.com) if you would like one – they make great gifts for the children at the end of a therapy session!

We want to say thanks to Alan and his team for their on-going support.

On the 28th September, Grace Windram and her family joined Footsteps Foundation’s Fundraiser, Clare, at the Rotary 1070 District Conference in York. Footsteps Foundation was one of the chosen charities to present to the conference delegates and Grace accepted a ‘Child of Courage’ Award on behalf of Footsteps. Grace looked like a princess and was really pleased with her award. It was such a special occasion and we were delighted to take away £2,000 from the event.