Latest news with #TheSickChildren'sTrust
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Anton du Beke charity hits £250k despite Who Wants to be a Millionaire? gaffe
EXCLUSIVE: Strictly Come Dancing star Anton du Beke generously made up the £15k he lost on ITV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? from his own pocket Anton du Beke has thanked the public for their generosity after his fundraising for The Sick Children's Trust hit £250,000. The efforts from the Strictly Come Dancing judge include £15,000 of his own money, donated after he lost the same amount on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? after getting a question about musicals wrong. In a video for social media, he said he wanted to thank everyone for 'giving so generously' to the charity, which allows parents to stay in a 'home from home' while their seriously ill child receives treatment in a hospital nearby. Over the past two years, Anton, 58, has hosted sell-out golf days and glitzy afternoon tea events in order to raise cash for the cause. He said: 'We've raised over the last couple of years with my golf days and my afternoon teas and my slightly embarrassing moment on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, we've reached a quarter of a million pounds. So I wanted to say a huge thank you. All that money's going to such a great cause, and I know everyone involved is eternally grateful. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.' Appearing on the ITV quiz show in February, Anton was asked by host Jeremy Clarkson: 'Which Tony-Award winning musical features a mash-up called Elephant Love Medley?' The options were A) Hairspray, B) Moulin Rouge, C) The Book of Mormon and D) Si,x and despite using his 50/50 lifeline, Anton still got the answer wrong, picking The Book of Mormon over Moulin Rouge. Prior to losing, he pledged that if he'd picked the wrong option and lost the money, he'd make up the £15,000 himself. Anton, who became an ambassador for the charity in 2023, reached the milestone last month when his golf fundraiser at Burhill Golf Club brought in more than £35,000. His efforts have directly funded 6,250 nights of free stays for families going through tough times with a sick child. He added: 'The Sick Children's Trust is an incredible charity doing vital work to support families at the most difficult time in their lives. I've seen firsthand just how much it means to parents to have somewhere safe and supportive to stay when their child is in the hospital. I'm honoured to play a small part in making that possible, and I'll keep dancing, golfing and fundraising for as long as I can.' The charity has ten 'Homes from Home' across the country, supporting more than 3,200 families each year. It costs £40 to support a family for one night. Chief Executive Jane Featherstone said: 'Anton's energy, compassion and unwavering support have blown us away. From his incredible events to his personal donations, he has gone above and beyond to help keep families together during their child's hospital treatment. The difference he has made is truly
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Colchester mum to skydive for charity that helped her whilst son was critically ill
A MOTHER is set to skydive to raise money for the charity which helped her family whilst her son was critically ill. Jess Johnson, 32, from Colchester, will jump from 13,000ft on Saturday to raise funds for The Sick Children's Trust. The charity provided her and her former partner, Joe, with a place to stay while their son, Jaxxon, was critically ill at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Jaxxon became unwell at just two weeks old in 2019 when he was suffering from bronchiolitis and respiratory syncytial virus, which can be serious in children. Jaxxon was critically ill at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) It led to Jaxxon suffering from a collapsed lung and a bleed on the brain. He was placed on life support at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the Sick Children's Trust provided the family with accommodation at their Rainbow House, just minutes from Jaxxon's ward. Ms Johnson said she is nervous about the 13,000ft skydive but is keen to raise as much money as she can for the charity which helped her when she had nowhere to go. She said: 'I can't thank The Sick Children's Trust enough. "I can't lie, I was terrified about the skydive to begin with, and my nerves have been a mess. "But now we're getting closer to the date, I'm so excited and cannot wait to be up in the sky. Jaxxon is now thriving (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) "We stayed at the Rainbow House for five days and honestly, we couldn't have afforded to stay in London without that support, especially over Christmas. "There was even a Christmas dinner cooked by volunteers and cookies we could bring back to Jaxxon's older brother Roman. "That meant everything." A Just Giving page has been set up to support Jessica's skydive, and donations can be made via Jaxxon, now five, is thriving despite some ongoing health challenges. Ms Johnson said: "He's the cheekiest, smartest little boy, and he loves to tell people his story. Jess Johnson with her dad Rob (Image: The Sick Children's Trust) "He even stood in the school playground collecting donations for my skydive." Jess will be joined on the jump by her 55-year-old dad, Rob, a skydiving enthusiast. She said: "He's absolutely over the moon. "He's been trying to get me to do this for years." The funds raised will go directly to The Sick Children's Trust to help provide more families with a warm, welcoming place to stay when their child is seriously ill in hospital.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Barnsley parents praise charity offering room near Sheffield Children's Hospital
The parents of a baby boy who needed intensive care treatment have thanked a charity for giving them accommodation near the hospital, saying it made a "massive difference".Riley was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus in November when he was five weeks parents, Lauren and Sam Auckland, both 27, were given accommodation near Sheffield Children's Hospital by The Sick Children's Trust while he received Auckland, from Barnsley, said: "You don't think you'll be able to sleep at all, but you do need to get some rest so you can help and make good decisions for your child." Riley initially started displaying mild, cold-like symptoms one night, and was admitted to Barnsley Hospital the next morning as his condition an X-ray revealed that he had a partial lung collapse, he had to be transferred to Sheffield Children's Hospital and intubated."It's not something you expect to happen, the fact he was going to be in Sheffield was scary in itself, you just have a million worries," Mrs Auckland she was then asked by a nurse if the couple needed somewhere to stay, and were given the keys to Magnolia House by The Sick Children's has shared facilities for cooking and cleaning, but the couple were given a room to themselves. 'Genuine sanctuary' Mrs Auckland said it meant they had a quiet space away from the stress of the hospital."You can't help how much you'll worry about your child, but having all the practical stuff taken care of makes a massive difference."She said she suffered from seizures, so it was reassuring that her husband was able to stay nearby, even during periods when he was not allowed to stay in the hospital accommodation also has a children's playroom, which was used by the couple's older son, two-year-old Sami, during couple were allowed to stay for as long as they needed, which turned out to be 12 nights, before Riley was is still recovering from the illness, but his mum said that he was "so much better than he was - he's quite chunky actually, and he's such a happy baby".She said The Sick Children's Trust had given them "a genuine sanctuary, at the worst time in our lives"."We will always be grateful to them for keeping us close to Riley when he needed us most."The charity, which also runs homes in London, Cambridge, Leeds and Newcastle, said it sought to "not only alleviate financial worries but also help the mental wellbeing" of to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Carlisle coffee shop to host Valentine's Day bake sale in aid of Children's charity
THE Bobbin Coffee Shop in Carlisle is hosting a Valentine's Day charity bake sale. The coffee shop in Shaddongate's Linton House, which was voted as the News & Star's 'Best Cafe 2024', will host the bake sale on Friday, February 14 in support of The Sick Children's Trust. The bake sale will include homemade cakes alongside other crafted gifts as well as a raffle to win an afternoon tea for two at the coffee shop. Writing on social media, they said: "The Bobbin is helping host a Valentine's bake sale on February 14 in support of The Sick Children's Trust. "We will be selling cakes and bakes to takeaway, hand-knitted gifts, and Raffle tickets to Win one of our Gift hampers. "Raffle Tickets are available to purchase now in the coffee shop along with a 'guess how many jelly beans' to win an afternoon tea for two. "Raffle tickets are 50p a ticket or £2 a strip."
