100 Local Women “Supported” by Lymington charity

Força Strength Against Cancer provide support bras to local women post-mastectomy

One hundred local women have now benefitted from the “Support” initiative by New Forest based charity, Força – Strength Against Cancer. Launched in August 2019, Support by Força directly assists women who have undergone a mastectomy.

Força - Strength Against Cancer, working with the Princess Anne Hospital, offers specialist post-mastectomy support bras free of charge to anyone having mastectomy surgery in Southampton, Hampshire.

The Support bras, made by Macom, are specially designed for use after a mastectomy, and work much like compression socks, helping promote circulation for a better recovery. They are also designed to promote comfort and are super easy to put on. Best of all - they are great to use as exercise bras afterwards.

“We are delighted to have been able to help one hundred women in our local community at such a difficult time in their lives,” said Donna Gittins, a Trustee of the Força – Strength Against Cancer charity.

“Thank you to everyone who has donated to Força. Your generosity enables us to continue our Support and Nourish programmes, helping those in our community who are living with cancer.

“We are now raising funds to be able to extend the Support initiative further and hope soon to be in a position to provide support bras to women undergoing mastectomy surgery at other hospitals in Dorset and Hampshire.”

The Força team receives some lovely letters of thanks from those who have received a bra. For some, support arrives following their second surgery and they tell how previously they found it hard to find a suitably supportive bra.

“Thank you so, so much for the Macom bra, which I have worn for the first time today. It has brought me comfort not just because it is really comfortable to wear, but also because Força is helping me at such a tough time in my life. Thank you,” shared one grateful recipient.

If you would like to request a support bra, please contact the Força team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Like many charities, Força’s fundraising activities have been curtailed this year due to the pandemic. The team, consisting of local volunteers, have been busy in recent weeks preparing several fundraising initiatives, including slogan T-shirts and "Festivi-Tea" which make great Christmas gifts, a special Christmas silent auction for a spa day at Lime Wood, and organising an interactive online ‘Christmas Carols with Força’ celebration. Find out full details on their website: www.forcaagainstcancer.org.uk.

SADLY NOW CANCELLED OR AT LEAST POSTPONED...

This year's Christmas Tree Festival in St Thomas Church Lymington has sadly been cancelled because there will not be time after Lockdown for set up.

See virtual tour of last year's Festival below!

Since its inception in 2015 in aid of the St Thomas Cupola Appeal, the beautiful and astmospheric Christmas Tree Festival in St Thomas Church has gone from strength to strength, each year attracting a growing number of trees and visitors. A highlight has always been the official opening carol singing by the Robin Choir from Lymington Infant School, which also always bring tears to many eyes.

How it works is that the Friends of St Thomas Church led by Chair Daphne Johnson buy in a number of Christmas trees in a variety of sizes, for which they also supply the lights. Each tree is "sponsored" by a local business or organisation ranging from local solicitors, estate agents and marine businesses to community and church organisations and charities. Each pays to participate according to the size of the tree. Each also has the opportunity in the Festival Programme to explain what its organisation does 

Then staff and volunteers of the relevant business and organisations decorate their individual trees to a theme they choose, which results in an enormous range of beautifully decorated trees of various shapes and sizes, all with the same lighting so at the same time producing a wonderfully harmonious effect. (It's also usually a very friendly sociable affair, the tree dressing part before the Festival Proper.)

And then the Festival opens, and whilst it is on various local choral and other musical performances take place, and volunteers from the Church sell Christmas cards and a range of extremely well priced Christmas decorations made by volunteers.

And then through the long weekend whilst the trees are on display visitors arrive, and make their donations and wander around enjoying the sights and the scents of this marvellous and slightly surreal spectacle. 

And at the end, the trees are either collected by their "owners" or are sold with the funds going to the Church, to people who have pledged during the course of the weekend to buy them - so many trees still resplendent in their decorations then go on to grace a home or hospital until and through Christmas. 

This year's festival, Friday 4 - Tuesday 8 December, as COVID-safe as possible HAS NOW SADLY HAD TO BE CANCELLED

The Friends of St Thomas Church Committee hopes to hold an alternative event, later, in St.Thomas Church.

"Live" virtual tour below of the 2019 pre-Covid Festival will have to fill the sad gap for now!

Contact the Church Office This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Gill Maunder, Parish Administrator, St Thomas Church, St Thomas Street, Lymington, SO41 9ND Telephone: 01590 676194 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

New Forest coffee and cake for Macmillan!

Durlston Court School, Royal British Legion and Colten Care among those raising funds for Macmillan Cancer in the New Forest

Macmillan Coffee Mornings have become a bit of an annual institution for the final Friday in September. A number of fundraising coffee mornings took place in the New Forest last week and raised much needed funds for this important charity. Whilst Covid continues to dominate health news and we hear that "normal" examinations and procedures have been missed with a potential knock effect on future cancer deaths, the work of the Macmillan nurses seems set to become even more vital. We've been sent some heart warming reports accompanied by lovely photos so we thought it would be nice to share with you in a special feature.  It's wonderful how adaptable and creative everybody has been in the face of social distancing and other Covid related rules!

Durlston Prep School raises £357 for Macmillan Cancer

Every year, pupils, parents and staff at Durlston Court Prep School usually get together to support the Macmillan Coffee Morning. This year, like so many events, this couldn’t take place. The current situation, however didn’t stop the Durlston Family!

Chef Sally Rogers generously made a cupcake for every child (and some spare for staff!) for them to enjoy within their class bubbles. Pre-Prep children were thrilled with their tea party. Pupils brought in their change to donate to this worthy cause and raised £357. Headmaster, Richard May, commented, “we are a family school and usually have a full calendar of family and community events so it was great to be able to continue our fundraising efforts;  Sally’s cupcakes certainly put a smile on everyone’s faces.  Even through lockdown we continued with regular ‘Durlston Family’ events such as a virtual theatre trip, weekly disco and a Durlston camp-out where everybody camped in their garden or house on the same evening. Durlston is a supportive family and we have many more plans to continue with as many events and fund raising activities as we can – albeit in adapted COVID safe way.”

Golden tickets at Colten Care

Residents and staff at Colten Care’s 21 care homes put a Willy Wonka-style twist on their support for the Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. As well as raising hundreds of cuppas, they enjoyed a gentle contest to see who would bite into a secret ‘Golden Cup Cake’ containing a layer of edible gold leaf through the middle.

Chefs at each home prepared the disguised treats as part of the array of cakes and pastries they made and served at the annual charity fundraiser. The 21 residents who ‘found the gold’ at their particular coffee mornings have been entered into a draw to win £250 of shopping vouchers, with Colten Care donating the same amount to Macmillan on their behalf.

As well as the cup cake contest, fun on the day included many individual initiatives to add to the total raised.

Chris would "do anything" to raise money for Macmillan!

At Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, gardener Chris Marsh underwent a sponsored leg wax as residents cheered him on. “Oh my goodness he was brave,” said resident Audrey Wainwright. “It was easy for us to sit back and laugh, but he did so well. It was really fun.”  

Jane Bunker, Companionship Team Leader, who performed the ‘waxing’, said: “Chris gritted his teeth but he took it all in the right spirit.

“I had asked him earlier about ideas for Macmillian and he said he would do anything to raise money – so we took him at his word. He’s a lovely guy and we had such good fun.”

At Court Lodge in Lymington, there was an ‘eat a doughnut without licking your lips’ challenge while at Abbott Barton in Winchester, Healthcare Assistant Judith Pain raised more than £200 towards a sponsored head shave. 

Overall, the 21 care homes along with staff at Colten’s Ringwood head office raised £2,000 this year despite the fact that Covid restrictions meant families and community visitors were unable to attend the individual coffee mornings. 

Royal British Legion and Laura

And finally, Royal British Legion Club in Lymington held a coffee morning at the British Legion Hall for which Laura of La Vie En Cake made delectable cakes and over £200 was raised. All concerned were very pleased!

Mamillan's annual coffee fundraiser turns 30 this year

The annual coffee fundraiser, which turned 30 this year, is dedicated to bringing people together over a cuppa to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

According to the charity, someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every 90 seconds.

Proceeds from the coffee morning help to provide them with emotional, financial and clinical support.

For more information on Macmillan Cancer Support, visit https://macmillan.org.uk/

Your hospice needs your support, now more than ever

Oakhaven helps thousands of us in the Lymington, New Forest, Waterside, and Totton communities.

You'll doubtless have noticed a great deal of charity advertising everywhere lately. Largely it's because COVID has depleted the ability of charities to host their usual live events which are often a mainstay of their fundraising.

In our own town, we have a vitally important charity that serves the New Forest, Totton, and the Waterside area: Oakhaven Hospice, whose end-of-life nursing and bereavement care and support services touch countless local lives. 

Only 14% of Oakhaven's annual running costs of £5 million is from statutory sources

It will come as a surprise to many, that only 14% of Oakhaven's annual running costs of £5 million comes from statutory sources. For the rest, Oakhaven relies largely on legacies and fundraising. Oakhaven has suffered similarly to other charities through Covid-19 and is now looking to make up a deficit of £500,000. 

There are various ways in which we all can help.

Twenty20 online art auction

In a "normal" year Oakhaven holds an exhibition and live auction at St Barbe Art Gallery in Lymington. Named after the 20x20cm canvases, the Twenty20 Art Auction attracts pieces from local artists, both accomplished amateurs and professionals, and typically raises around £10,000 for the charity.

This is not at all a normal year and, of course, is also 2020! And there are some big changes. 

First, the exhibition and auction have been moved online - which in fact gives more people the chance to acquire anything from a potential masterpiece by a professional to simply something lovely by a local amateur! Download the Art Catalogue here!

Second, this year a number of the 100 plus works of art for auction are not 20x20cm, but lots of different shapes and sizes. Including very large ones... 

Third, there will be a "Pop Up" Exhibition of the works of art at the Oakhaven Hospice shop in Lymington High Street on Sunday 13th, Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th September.

Find out more on the Oakhaven Hospice website, and, place your bids online now in the Oakhaven Hospice Twenty20 art auction: all proceeds go to Oakhaven Hospice whose end of life nursing, care and bereavement services are so vital to our community and whose coffers are badly depleted by Covid and the cancellation of live fundraising events this summer!

Oakhaven Giving: it's the small things that make the difference!

This week sees the launch of Oakhaven Giving, which provides us all with the opportunity to give a regular monthly donation to Oakhaven Hospice. Giving just £3 a month - the equivalent of a cup of coffee - can make a huge difference. Joining together as a community to have a 'virtual coffee' in aid of Oakhaven will help to secure the future for our hospice and the valuable services it provides to so many.

And if you can give more on a regular basis, here's how you can help:

• £6 a month helps transport patients to and from our Day Hospice where they can enjoy a social day, shared laughter, a hearty lunch and relax for a while.
• £12 a month helps those coping with a diagnosis or following the death of loved one the opportunity to work through their emotions with one of our counsellors.
• £36 a month helps to bring the hospice to your home, where our community teams can support you, allowing you to remain at home and independent for as long as possible.

Your regular donations will enable Oakhaven to help more people in the New Forest, Waterside, and Totton area living with a life-limiting illness, as well as their families. You can change someone's life today.

It is easy to set up a Direct Debit for Oakhaven Giving. All you need to do is download the form online at www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk/regular-giving, then complete and send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post to Oakhaven Giving, Oakhaven Hospice, Lower Pennington Lane, Lymington. SO41 8ZZ.

All about Oakhaven Hospice

This weekend there is a 16-page feature supplement in the New Milton Advertiser and Lymington Times which describes the breadth and depth of the services provided for the community by the teams at Oakhaven Hospice.

So pick up a copy of this week's A&T - plus for your convenience, you can open the pages of the flipbook below, or click directly to the flipbook itself, here.  

Make a fun scarecrow in aid of Oakhaven Hospice!

 An art and craft activity for children during the summer holidays - with the chance to win prizes!

The teams at the Oakhaven Hospice charity shops in Lymington have come up with a fantastic way to keep children busy during the summer holidays! 

With many holiday events and activities not taking place because of the pandemic, this fun competition will provide children of all ages with the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get creative.

Wheel a Scarecrow Competition

All you need to do is choose your favourite character from a children's book and have lots of fun designing and making your own 'scarecrow' based on that character. Maybe you love the Gruffalo best, or perhaps a character from one of the Harry Potter books. Perhaps you'll choose a classic like Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, Mr Toad, or Thomas the Tank Engine. The choice is yours - be as creative as you like!

Then, pop along to the Oakhaven Hospice Children's Shop (39 St Thomas Street, Lymington) or the Oakhaven Hospice Craft Shop (10 St Thomas Street, Lymington) to complete an entry form, with a £5 entry donation to Oakhaven Hospice.

Also at the shops, you'll find bargain buckets oozing with items to help you with your creations - including fancy dress items, sequins, buttons, ribbon, fabric glue... everything has been kindly donated.

On Saturday 12 September, walk or 'wheel' (in a wheelbarrow!) your scarecrow to be displayed outside Moore Barlow (previously Moore Blatch). 

You might win a great prize!

The scarecrows will be displayed between 9.30am and 4.30pm on the 12 September outside Moore Barlow and during the course of the day the winning scarecrows will be announced. There will be a range of prizes on offer - we hope to bring you more details on this soon!

All scarecrows must be collected by 5.30pm.

A fantastic opportunity to help our local hospice

This is a great opportunity to help Oakhaven Hospice, whose teams work not just at the Lymington hospice itself, but also deep within the community across the New Forest, Waterside and Totton to provide the highest levels of palliative nursing and care by expertly trained nurses, comforting carers and compassionate counsellors and support staff.

Oakhaven receives just 10% of funding from the government, with the remaining 90% needing to be raised through donations, fundraising activities, the charity shops, legacies and trusts. With most of their main fundraising events for 2020 cancelled or postponed, we need to help our local hospice as much as we can. Every little helps - and in entering this competition, you'll not just keep your child entertained for a few precious hours but also be giving to a very worthwhile local cause.

Bags of generosity for Lymington's Oakhaven Hospice

Please hold on to your cleared out New Forest clobber, ready for Oakhaven Shops to take it, gradually!

Everyone loves a bargain, and since 1995 when the first Oakhaven Hospice shop opened in Lymington, the Hospice shops have gained a reputation for excellence and quality at affordable prices. In each shop you will find a great team of staff and volunteers working together to provide a welcoming and enticing array plus first class customer service. Each of the shops (3 in Lymington; see link below) is an Aladdin’s cave filled with real treasures and the ultimate in recycling. You never know what you will find in an Oakhaven shop!

Helping Oakhaven to raise much needed funds

We can all help Oakhaven Hospice to raise much needed funds, simply by giving them what we don't need.

Clothes will be hung for sale, knick knacks will go on display, jewellery, hats, shoes will all play their part in raising much needed funds for Oakhaven Hospice.

All the more so, in a year when live fundraising events had to be cancelled, and the fundraising shortfall is large.

Even the items that can’t be sold by the Hospice shops in the New Forest will go on to raise money, through recycling. In the words of Melanie Stone of Oakhaven's fundraising and events team "Your donations do make such a difference to Oakhaven; the income they generate plays a significant part in raising the funds to help the Hospice to care for those in the community who need it."

Donations since Lockdown have temporarily overwhelmed the volunteers - please be patient if you can!

Inevitably many of us took the opportunity to do some clearing out during Lockdown and whilst we might be desperate now to get rid of the bags and boxes of stuff we amassed, Oakhaven would be extremely grateful if we could hang on a little longer.

Volunteers are steadily working their way through recent donations and, as shoppers start to "recycle" the goods on display, they will as soon as possible signal that they can take more.

There is right now though a surplus of stuff awaiting sorting and currently no books, cds or dvds can be taken.  

9 shops across the New Forest

There are 9 shops across the New Forest including the three in Lymington; they all take part in the retail gift aid scheme which enables the hospice to claim an additional 25p for every £1 raised on goods donated by the public from HM Revenue & Customs!

For the information you need about where and what to take please click the links below:

Shops, locations and contact phone numbers (click link)

Update on donations - the latest information (click link)

A summary of what's welcome...

• Ladies, men’s and children’s clothes, shoes and accessories
• Ornaments, china and glassware in good clean condition
• Vintage and retro items
• Toys
• Unwanted gifts
• Small electrical appliances
• Furniture with fire labels if applicable
• Modern paperback books, CDs and DVDs are normally accepted but as at July 2020 CAN NOT be taken

...and what isn't!

Unfortunately there are certain items which cannot be taken due to Health and Safety regulations or lack of public demand, these are:-

• Computers
• Videos and cassettes
• Duvets and Pillows
• Safety helmets
• Child car seats
• Toys without a CE label
• Gas appliances
• Sharp knives and weapons
• White electrical goods
• Upholstered furniture without a fire label or no longer in a clean sellable condition

If you have time, please sort into separate bags and boxes!

Taking time to sort your donations can help generate more money for the Hospice.

All donated stock will be used to the best advantage for Oakhaven and may be sold, recycled or disposed of as appropriate.

This is based on the principle of getting best value for money for every kind donation. In short, every penny raised by the Hospice shops is used to fund the specialist care and support to patients and their families when they need it most.

Oakhaven Hospice thanks us all for our support, whether in donating items we no longer need and/or shopping in their shops!

Brownies for the carers, firemen, postmen of the New Forest frontline 

7th Wave Events Michele Rae is baking daily for the keyworkers of the New Forest

It all began with her sister, her GP brother in law, her nephew, her niece who all at similar times although in different ways were quite dramatically affected by coronavirus, which coincided with the equally dramatic decline in demand for Michele's top class and in a pre-coronavirus era fully booked catered cuisine.

At this point a friend, a carer at a local care home who was at the end of her tether, professed herself totally exhausted and the next day Michele baked her some brownies.

At the same time clapping for the carers which brings out the community spirit in neighbours whether friends before or not was taking hold, and so many people Michele knew were being affected in so many ways: from no work, no income to really frightening experiences of the virus itself.

And so inexorably Michele who wakes regularly at 6am to feed her animals, found herself heading straight for the kitchen to start baking her legendary brownies (for which the recipe is still a closely guarded secret) for basically, a different group of deserving people daily!

Oakhaven Hospice have benefitted, as have many other groups and still it continues.

Meanwhile Michele has also launched an enterprising catering service especially designed for special occasions in our current distanced lives called DineInDeluxe - Michele will come to you, park in your driveway and prepare a superb meal for groups as small as 2 people, all whilst adhering to the social distancing guidelines!

"The loveliest lady ever! She can do a lovely, professional dinner party if you have a special occasion at these difficult times & safely deliver delicious food to your home without contact- highly recommend!"

This is compelling enough a recommendation for us to book up for an upcoming special family occasion which deserves to be celebrated even in Lockdown!

Do take a look at the 7th Wave Events Facebook page where you'll see lots more stories of Michele's daily brownie production line and be tempted by DineInDeluxe! 

And find out more about 7th Wave Events here. 

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Lymington.com and its online media channels are independently owned and managed by Bartley Marketing Ltd. We produce a free weekly e-newsletter Weekly What's On which contains lots of useful information and suitable entertainment for lockdown days too, if you'd like to receive it please sign up here! 

Basics Bank benefits from much needed fundraising

Lymington Tri-Club finds a way to combine training in lockdown with charitable endeavour

Lymington Triathlon Club (LTC) have raised more than £2,500 for the New Forest food bank, following a gigantic sponsored run, cycle and walk over the weekend.  

Active and budding triathletes need to train! And ideally of course they'd all train together as a group, that's part of the motivation and momentum. But because of COVID-19, group training in all of the three disciplines of swim, bike and run is not currently possible.

Local food bank New Forest Basics Bank - deserving beneficiary

The idea was to raise money for the local food bank New Forest Basics Bank (NFBB) charity - like other local charities desperately trying to fundraise and replace lost income, Basics Bank also has a growing challenge to fulfil the needs of the local families dependent on it. (Remember you can donate items at Waitrose and Lymington, and if you're not currently shopping you can always donate money direct to Basics Bank at any time...)

Lands End to John O'Groats and back again - twice!

Their goal was to undertake a total mileage that is the equivalent of travelling the length of the UK and back – a total of 1,407km one way. 

And you can see them below playing their parts!  There is still time to donate to their Local Giving Page https://tinyurl.com/ychorhhb.

Free weekly e-newsletter from Lymington.com

Lymington.com and its online media channels are independently owned and managed by Bartley Marketing Ltd. We produce a free weekly e-newsletter Weekly What's On which contains lots of useful information and suitable entertainment for lockdown days too, if you'd like to receive it please sign up here! 

The group's fundraising target for NFBB was £500. The amount raised currently stands at £2,500 and rising. To donate, visit tinyurl.com/ychorhhb

More about the athletes below:

Malcolm Warne-Holland

Malcolm, who is over 70, had set himself the tough Saturday challenge of cycling 100km on his stationary bike in the garden. Armed with music, and with a second pair of cycling shorts needed after 2 painful hours, he smashed out his 100km doing a personal best time along the way. On Sunday he set out on a walk to add to his total but got pulled up by a calf injury after 4km. Not content with that he rallied his family as far afield as Oxford and Hertfordshire to join the cause. Here's to a speedy recovery Malcolm! 

Sandie Tyler

The LTC Social Secretary Sandie has only just managed to get back from New Zealand having been stuck there at the end of a holiday. So in self-isolation with her husband at home the lawn was her only option.  With a lap of only 30m she managed to cycle a dizzyingly amazing 20km, with only a couple of coffee breaks along the way. Spurred on by that she then ran a half marathon on the Sunday around that same 30m loop. Her first task after lockdown is over? To buy some new turf. Big kudos to Sandie. 

Caroline

Caroline, a previous secretary of the club and a keen cyclist who had actually done Land's End to John O'Groats in pre lockdown days, is now a wheelchair user. However, not to be outdone, she smashed out an impressive 400m by zimmer and self-propelled wheelchair on Sunday.  Congratulations Caroline. 

Thank you from Ted - and more please!

Already famous young fundraiser 15 year old local Ted is now fundraising for Julia's House the New Forest's local children's hospice charity

Local young fundraiser Ted Ward thanks everybody who has so generously donated to Julia’s House children’s hospice over the weekend. And now, is asking whether more local people would like to increase the total he's raised to date via his JustGiving page. 

Julia's House helps families facing unimaginable heartbreak - the knowledge that their child may not live into adulthood - by providing frequent, flexible care for children with life-limited or life-threatening conditions to give their parents a much-needed break.  All this is ever more poignant during the coronavirus crisis which preys upon the already weak, and, it's all the more vital because along with other wonderful charities so little of their funding comes from the government, meanwhile with fundraising events all cancelled other income is vastly depleted.  

Ted's 19-hour Sports Lockdown 

So Ted was inspired to embark on 19 hours of continuous exercise: it seemed an appropriate way to mark both the 19 of Covid and Lockdown, and help make up the shortfall of missing fundraising income.

Under normal circumstances, Priestlands’ student Ted would be gearing up to take his GCSE’s next month, but like many others, he’s stuck at home trying to work out what comes next for him.  Keen to have a focus and an avid sports-lover, Ted decided he needed an exercise challenge to raise funds for a charity close to home.

Listening to his Aunt and incoming Director of Care at Julia’s House, Claire Hudson-Cooper talk of the challenges and uncertainty her charity were facing due to the Coronavirus pandemic, on a Zoom call one night, he decided to do something to help.

No newcomer to fundraising, at age 13 Ted and a group of like-minded swimming enthusiasts took on the “Solent Swim”, swimming from Yarmouth to Sowley shore, to raise a fabulous £15,000 for the Piam Brown Children’s Ward at Southampton Hospital in memory of their friend Lizzie Murt, who died of cancer in 2015, at just 13, Read about that previous fundraising effort here.

Ted explained “it was great to raise so much money, so I thought if I could do something for 19 hours - because of COVID-19 - then perhaps I could help someone else.” 

“My Auntie Claire helped to launch Julia’s House in Wiltshire, offering respite care and support to families caring for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. With major events cancelled or postponed and their shops closed, their fundraising has been severely affected by COVID-19, but they’re still out caring for children and families during the crisis, supporting the NHS, so they were the obvious choice.”

With hospices in Dorset and Wiltshire, Julia’s House provides respite and support to families either in their own homes, in the community or at one of their hospices.  Under normal circumstances, they are 95% funded by the general public, with fundraising events and activities vital. But, just like many charities, they are suffering due to the lockdown and social distancing restrictions. Julia’s House recently welcomed government support for hospices but without knowing how long this support will continue nor how long the lockdown will last, the situation continues to be challenging.

Kicking off his 19-hour marathon last Saturday at 5am, Ted started with a Zwift indoor cycling session, followed by Yoga, Pilates and Chi sessions with family via Zoom, home-made circuits around the garden and house, dance-fit, garden tennis, a 10km run for his 1 hour allocated exercise, Joe Wick’s PE, a much-needed stretch class via Zoom with his Uncle Will and then back on the bike at 1015pm until midnight.

Ted confided, “I hit a real low point 10 hours in, but then we did a Joe Wicks PE class and it gave me the energy boost I needed to keep going.  Thanks to Christchurch based www.precisionhydration.com too, who generously supplied electrolyte supplements to help through the day. My family have been amazing, Dad cycling and running alongside me all day and my mum and sister joining in throughout the 19-hour ordeal too. I even ate my meals while cycling!”

“The support has already been phenomenal, with donations reaching over £5,000, which is amazing but if we could get it to £5,000, I would be so, so proud! 

Claire commented “£3,000 pays for 30 hours of care during the Coronavirus crisis, so obviously the more we raise, the more help and support we can provide to local children and families – we’re often a lifeline of care.  We’re incredibly proud and grateful to Ted and his family for choosing to do this for Julia’s House, we still can’t believe how much they’ve raised.”

When asked how Ted felt the next day, in typical teen style he shrugged “Yeah I’m fine … my calves are a bit tight!”

Help Ted - like Captain Tom - exceed his target!

If you can and would like to donate, however large or small, here’s the link to Ted's JustGiving page.

Free weekly e-newsletter from Lymington.com

Lymington.com and its online media channels are independently owned and managed by Bartley Marketing Ltd. We produce a free weekly e-newsletter Weekly What's On which contains lots of useful information and suitable entertainment for lockdown days too, if you'd like to receive it please sign up here! 

Meanwhile you can below watch a video which demonstrates some of what's so special about Julia's House.

Be an Oakhaven Star - it's easy!

Lymington.com for Oakhaven Stars - tell me how many jumps below and I'll multiply my donation by 10

Every little counts for Oakhaven Hospice, desperately in need of replenishing its coffers to enable it to keep providing such an amazing and so appreciated local service through challenging times. As per Oakhaven's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OakhavenHospiceTrust...

"Be an Oakhaven star, by getting active with this simple challenge. Whatever your age, ability or fitness level we hope that each and every one of you will join us.Pick your level, get a member of your household to video you and upload to your Facebook or Instagram, tagging Oakhaven and 3 friends to take up the challenge.

We’ve given you a few options but it doesn’t have to stop there, the sky’s the limit!
30 star jumps and donate £3
50 star jumps and donate £5
100 star jumps and donate £10
donations to be made to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oakhavenstars
We can’t wait to see all you stars out there, the fundraising team have started you off so tag your it!
Simply JUMP, DONATE & TAG"

If you're not glued to your Facebook or Instagram you may not have seen this initiative already being shared widely across social media, but this is a really easy and worthwhile thing to do and share - and every little we donate will help Oakhaven.

Jane Jumps a few Stars (how many?!)

As my jumps below show, this was a lot easier than running the London Marathon for Oakhaven 5 years almost to the day ago!

For the occasion I have dug out and donned the t shirt I wore on that oh so memorable day when I was literally cheered by the crowds by name, around nearly the entirety of the 26.2 miles course - the only "empty" section is out towards docklands and again for a stretch on the way back but most of the way those streets were packed!

Count my jumps in the video below and email to tell me how many there were - I'll multiply my own donation by 10 (can't say a figure that would be giving the game away!) 

Email me at jane@bartleymarketing

And meanwhile find your phone and a "photographer" and get jumping too!!