News

Lottery winners spent 24 hours making the 'gingerbread house' at Little Bridge House

Children’s Hospice South West’s Little Bridge House received an early Christmas gift on Thursday thanks to a show of generosity from National Lottery winners.

Past winners from across the south of the country spent 24 hours creating a giant ‘gingerbread’ playhouse for children and their families to enjoy.

Over 200 Santas on motorbikes rode from Lee Mill down to St Austell on Saturday 2nd December to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). The ride culminated in a visit to CHSW’s children’s hospice Little Harbour in St Austell where riders were greeted by members of the Fundraising Team with warm refreshments.

Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) welcomed over 600 Santas to the Eden Project on Sunday 3^rd December to take part in its annual Santas on the Run event which last year raised £20,000 for the local children’s charity.

Brave 11 year old Emily Crisp will be remembered at Exeter Santa Run

Among those taking part in this weekend’s annual Santa Run in Exeter is a group of health workers who have been inspired to take part in memory of an 11-year-old girl who recently died.

Emily Crisp, from Bradninch, had a very rare condition called Bohring-Opitz syndrome that affects the development of many parts of the body.

She was diagnosed when she was three months old and at that time there were only 30 other known cases of it in the world.

The North Devon Gazette’s much-loved light Up a Life appeal was launched to an audience of thousands this year.

It was marked with the switch-on of a special illuminated star in Barnstaple Square during the town’s Christmas lights celebrations on Sunday.

Now in its 21st year, the appeal has become a Christmas tradition to enable people to remember a loved one and help raise money for North Devon Hospice and Children’s Hospice South West.

The charities host a series of services of remembrance across North Devon through December.

It’s not often solicitors and chartered surveyors square up to each other for a fight but that’s what happened in the annual conker competition in Plymouth, organised by wealth management company Brewin Dolphin.

Emotions were running high and the atmosphere was tense as Plymouth-based surveyors Monk & Partners prepared to do battle with legal experts Gard & Co in the finals. Conker struck conker until, for the second year in succession, Monk & Partners again proved invincible.

Paul completed the challenge in August which involved riding wild horses across 1,000km of Mongolian steppe. The ride took him 9 days and he experienced all types of weather and terrain along the way.

Croyde Ocean Triathlon and Exmoor Open Swim raise an incredible £9634.47 for Children's Hospice South West

Organisers of the Croyde Ocean Triathlon and Exmoor Open Water Swim were delighted to present Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) with a cheque for £9634.47 raised from participants of the 2017 events.

Josh Allan, Community Fundraiser at CHSW’s Little Bridge House hospice in Fremington said:

Stephanie Chapman from Perranporth has taken on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge as well as the London Walking Marathon all to help raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Stephanie completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge over the 1 – 3 September and then just three weeks later on 23 September completed the London Marathon Walk, 26.2 miles around the capital city whilst also managing to raise £3490 for CHSW.

Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) would like to thank Truscotts of Barnstaple for donating the use of a van for its Santas on the Run events in the area this December.

Santas on the Run is an event for the whole family and the charity has runs in Bideford, Holsworthy and Tiverton.  Jayne Jarrett, events fundraiser for CHSW said:

‘This is such a kind donation, we have so much that we need to carry to these events – including several hundred Santa suits! – and the van will be such a help to our team.’