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sprinG 2016 newsletter
The fundraising charity for children with complex needs
Oli’s success withsocial media10 top tips inside!
Jake’s Journey
Morson Group’sCharity of the Year
inside this issue
Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1149254 / Scotland SCO42611
Tel: 01892 535525www.treeofhope.org.uk
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Hello, and welcome to the first Tree ofHope newsletter! In this first edition we are taking the opportunity to introduce you to our small but highly effectiveteam so you can put faces to names. We will useour newsletter to share ideas and stories to helpyou understand more about Tree of Hope and what we do to support sick and disabled childrenand young people and their families, and how youcan be involved.
By the time you read this I will have been CEO ofthis wonderful charity for almost six months, andwe have spent this time making sure we are thebest we can be. Working with our Tree of Hopefamilies has allowed us to develop our services, and we now provide support and advice in theareas of fundraising, PR and marketing as well aswith the day to day paying of invoices, managingfunds, signing up new parents and giving generaladvice and support. Our objective as a charity is to give real hope that there is a way to get children the medical services, therapies andspecialist equipment they desperately need (often unavailable through the nHs) throughsupporting their families with fundraising andsharing their stories.
Please feel free to share this newsletter to spreadthe Tree of Hope message.
I can be contacted at [email protected] if you have any comments or suggestions.
Kind regards
GillGill GibbChief Executive Officer
Meet the TeamFind out who works at Tree of Hopeand how they can help you
Oli’s social Media successAnd 10 top tips to improve your socialmedia fundraising
FootstepsAn insight into therapy with Footsteps
newsImportant news & information from Tree of Hope
Choose Tree of Hope asCharity of the YearMorson Group 2015
selective Dorsal rhizotomy(sDr)NHS changes to funding
Jake’s JourneyA Tree of Hope Family’s Story
remember a CharityTree of Hope joins national campaign
Art Competition! Your chance to win a fun and colourfultoy bundle!
Tree of Hope HelpsWhat Tree of hope can do for you
regular GivingInformation on how to donate
in this issue
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Tree of Hope, 43a Little Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1YP
Telephone (Head Office): 01892 535525Email (General enquiries): [email protected] Email: [email protected]
© Tree of Hope 2016. All rights reserved
Tree of Hope is registered in England and Wales as a charitable company limitedby guarantee Company No 08184807. Charity No 1149254
www.treeofhope.org.uk
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CEO Gill Gibb, our new CEO, has ahugely varied role. Gill’s days arespent promoting Tree of Hope’swork, looking for fundraisingopportunities and the chance to tellour story. Gill manages all the otherTree of Hope staff, guiding andsupporting everything we do as acharity to try to ensure we are asefficient and effective as possible.
Gill works closely with our Board of volunteer Trustees, ensuring theyare kept informed of our charityactivity and helps manage, with them,the strategic direction of our charity.
The Office Marcia Solomon-Brown has justjoined the Tree of Hope team asOffice Manager. Marcia supports therest of the team with office relatedadministration including managingall IT and telephony activity,information security and dataprotection, policy management andmanaging our properties.
The Finance TeamDavid Hall leads our finance team,working with Elizabeth (Liz) Alvey.We will shortly be welcoming a thirdmember of staff to the financeteam! David and Liz ensure that allof our Tree of Hope families’ bills fortheir child’s agreed expenses arepaid, and that all incomingdonations are recorded correctly forcampaigns and statements are sentout. They also deal with VAT, GiftAid claims (of which we havemany!) and prepare ourmanagement and year endaccounts. The finance team isalways busy!
MarketingHarriet Kerly is responsible for allthings marketing and administrationin the office. Harriet updates Tree ofHope’s social media platforms on adaily basis, along with ensuring ourwebsite is in full working order forboth the charity and our families’campaigns. Harriet is currentlylearning to use more advanceddesign programmes and will infuture design this magazineamongst other Tree of Hope leafletsand advertising. Harriet alsosupports the rest of the team whenwe have scanner, printer andshredder issues!
Fundraising Emma Bourne, who has veryrecently joined the team in a newlycreated role as FundraisingManager, supports families withfundraising advice and worksclosely with supportive individuals,companies and Trusts andFoundations to bring in funds forthe charity. These unrestrictedfunds pay for the charity’s corecosts, enabling staff to be availableto support children and families andto keep Tree of Hope’s work going.
Family Liaison TeamJenny Hawkins and Tracey Strachanhandle all of our incoming enquiries,offering support, advice andguidance, whether you are a brandnew applicant, an existing family,fundraiser, donor or supplier. TheFamily Liaison Team’s primaryfunction is to lend a listening andcompassionate ear to anyone whomakes contact with Tree of Hope,and to help however we can. We arehere for you whatever the nature ofyour enquiry, so get dialling! Call uson 01892 535525.
Meet the TeamTop row left to right – David, Gill, Emma, Tracey, LizBottom row left to right - Jenny, Marcia, Harriet
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We know we don’t always get it right, but we learn from our
mistakes and aim to improve anddevelop our services all the time.
So do tell us what you think!
The best part of my job istalking with you all - families,suppliers and supporters - aboutwhat we all do and feeling inspiredand humbled every day by thegreat things everyone does tosupport the children who sodesperately need our help.
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Oliver suffers from Cerebral Palsy,meaning he cannot walk, or do theusual things that other children hisage can. The money raised will gotowards funding Oliver’s operationsto give Oliver the chance to notonly walk independently but alsoimprove his balance, sitting andstanding posture, and increase hislevel of comfort in general.
Fundraising can be a strenuoustask, putting extra pressure onfamilies that already have more thanmost to deal with. Using afundraising platform can make thiseasier. Within just 4 weeks of joiningTree of Hope, Oliver’s campaign hadraised over a staggering £17,000! Inraising such a large sum so quickly,it became apparent that Oliver andhis family had used the power ofthe internet and its free socialmedia platforms to promote his
campaign, gaining donations andsupport from their variousnetworks.
The Internet is an incredibleresource right at our fingertips and,when used to its best ability, canprovide the perfect platform forfundraising, so we spoke to Oliver’sfamily to find out how they madetheir campaign so successful…
Oliver’s mother, Krista, ensured thatshe had everything planned for thelaunch of Oli’s campaign, meaningall platforms were ready to go onlaunch day. It was key to haveeverything ready at the same time,so it hit the internet with a bang.
After a week of perfecting theinformation they wanted to share,Oli’s father had created a websitefor Oli’s campaign. This included
various photos and videos,information for donors (veryimportant), a news section andthank you area. This proved to be abrilliant way to keep donorsengaged and keep them up to datewith Oliver’s progress, making thecampaign current and transparent.
His family then put together aheart-warming video of Oliver’sjourney so far, explaining what theywere doing and why, with variouspersonal touches about Oliver’shobbies. (Go to www.olivernelson.netto view). Making videos like thispersonal to your campaign is areally good way to clasp the heartsof your donors and the online worldthat may not already know aboutyour story.
Alongside all of this Facebookactivity was a carefully worded
Oli’s success withsocial media Oliver and his family joined Tree of Hope just three months ago. They hoped to raise a huge £25,000 so that Oliver could head to st Louis, Missouri, to undergo a lifechanging operation called sDr (selective Dorsal rhizotomy).
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CHOOSE YOUR PLATFORMThere are numerous social media platforms availablebut that doesn’t mean you need to be on all of themFacebook and Twitter are probably the two best knownfor starters, but you could also consider photo-sharingsites such as Instagram, and video platforms such asYouTube or Vimeo. Take some time to consider whichwill work best for you.
GET VISUALIt may sound obvious, but research shows that peopleengage much more with pictures than with text. Tomake sure your followers aren’t scrolling past yourupdates, try and share as many photos as possible. You could also consider video updates – the FacebookVideo app makes uploading from your phone quick andeasy, or you can upload to YouTube.
MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR SUPPORTERSThe fewer clicks it takes to get to your fundraisingpage, the more donations you will receive. Make it easyfor people by including the url in all your updates, orconsider ‘pinning’ a status so it’s always at the top ofyour page.
ENGAGESocial media is at its most successful when it involves atwo-way conversation. Try and reply to all Tweets orcomments on your Facebook page, and be sure tothank people if they share or retweet your updates.Thanking people for their donations is a nice touch, too.
PROVIDE UPDATES...Your followers will be interested to hear how you’regetting on, so do try and provide updates – this can beanything from hitting major fundraising milestones (e.g.‘Only £100 to go until we reach our target’), to detailsof your next fundraising activity.
...BUT DON’T OVERDO IT!It can be a tricky balancing act, but try not to‘bombard’ your followers with too many posts. Peoplemight be inclined to unfollow you if they feel theirtimeline is getting clogged up, so experiment with whatworks best for you. Don’t be afraid to ask your followersif you’re not sure.
FOLLOW THE RIGHT PEOPLEMake sure you’re connected with all your localnewspaper journalists, philanthropic organisations(such as Rotary and Lions Clubs), MPs and councillors –they can be instrumental in helping you get yourmessage out.
TARGET CELEBSCelebrities often have an audience of thousands (oreven millions) on social media. A retweet or ‘like’ fromsomeone famous and influential could make a hugedifference to your campaign
WHAT’S TRENDING?Keep an eye out for anything in the news that is relatedto your cause and might be of interest to yourfollowers, e.g. new medical research or otherfundraising initiatives. If you’re using Twitter, usinghashtags such as #fundraising and #charity will helpget your message to people already monitoring thesetopics.
BE POSITIVEPeople respond well to positivity, so try to make yourupdates as upbeat as possible. If you do get anynegative or unpleasant comments, don’t get drawn intoan undignified exchange; it’s usually best to take themoral high ground.
post pending and ready to beshared. Krista shared the videopublically across Facebook with hervarious networks. However, her TOPTIP was to also ensure that she also,sent a personal message to all ofher Facebook Friends. She believesthis was a really important tool ofher campaign to ensure that nobodymissed the message. The postreached over 300 shares within acouple of days, leading ‘Send Oli toSt. Louis’ to a fantastic start.
Sharing across Facebook and alsoconnecting with various networkslike the family’s church and ScoutClub meant that Oliver and hisfamily have yet to organise anyfundraising events on Oli’s behalf.As all their networks became awareof ‘Send Oli to St. Louis’ they tookon various fundraising activities onOli’s behalf.
Oliver’s family also took theirfundraising campaign to anotherlevel by approaching the localnewspaper. This gave theircampaign greater exposure. Thefamily feel that the use of theinternet was really powerful andeffective for their campaign.
As Oliver’s family have shown, whenplanning a social media campaign,timing is important, wording is keyand staying active online keepsdonors engaged, ultimately leadingto more donations for Oli.
To see the information Oli’s familyhave shared about his campaign, or to make a donation, please visitwww.justgiving.com/olivernelson
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Edwards Harvey
10 TOP TIPS for social media fundraising
With a registered charity likeTree of Hope supporting yourfundraising, social media can be one of the most effectiveand powerful ways for familiesto spread the word about theircampaign, build supporters,boost donations and encourageother fundraisers to getinvolved.
With free services such asFacebook, Twitter, WordPressand Instagram available online,you too can be the mastermindbehind the computer and getyour campaign going viral.
Edwards Harvey work with Tree of Hope on PR and branding (www.edwardsharvey.com)
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The Footsteps approach is basedaround play and fun, mixing gameswith traditional and specialistphysiotherapy exercises. The team’saim is to enhance and progress thephysical, cognitive and speechdevelopment of patients, as well asbuilding confidence and, byextension, independence. Footstepshelps youngsters achieve real,tangible and sustainable results, thusimproving quality of life, and helpingthem to hit their full potential.
The Footsteps Centre came intoexistence back in 2004, as a result ofthe passion and determination ofMum, Pip Hoyer Millar. Pip’s daughterMinty had been diagnosed withcerebral palsy and was told bymedical professionals that she wouldnever walk. Pip did not accept theirprognosis, and made it her missionto find a way to enable Minty. InPoland she discovered the unique‘Spider’ apparatus which involvedplacing Minty in the centre of aframe, whilst her body was alignedusing elastic ropes. The therapygiven to Minty whilst in the framestrengthened and normalised hermuscle tone, improved her balanceand spatial awareness and increasedher confidence.As a result of the hugely positiveimpact of ‘Spider Therapy’ on Minty’sdevelopment, Pip found herself
travelling back and forth to Polandon a regular basis, which with threeolder sons, became very difficult.Appreciating there would be otherfamilies who could benefit from‘Spider Therapy’ but would beunable to make the commute toPoland, Pip brought Minty’s twotherapists, Gosia and Filip over tothe UK, to set up a single ‘SpiderTherapy’ frame, and practise in abarn on her property. Interest grew,the project mushroomed, and today,Footsteps is based in fully renovatedand adapted premises in Dorchester-on-Thames, with 5 ‘Spiders’. Inaddition to this, the Centre offersKinesio taping and Orofacial neuromotor therapy, for children andyoung people with oral feedingdisorders and breathing difficulties.Footsteps’ bespoke therapy methodis designed to be as accessible andengaging for children and youngpeople as possible. The youngsterswork hard, but have a lot of fun inthe process. An example of this isplaying a game of football in thespider, or a game of giant Connect 4!All very good fun, and excellent forgetting patients to improve their co-ordination and spatial awareness,whilst feeling completely safe, andsecure.
Alongside the therapy centre,Footsteps also has a charitable
foundation, which was set up by Pipto address the issue of parentswanting therapy, but being unable toafford the fees. The FootstepsFoundation is able to provide annualgrants of 10–90% of the cost oftherapy fees, which are awarded ona means-tested basis. Families with agross annual income of under£65,000 qualify for grant assistance.There are a multitude of positive anduplifting stories from families whohave benefited from the Foostepsexperience. A very recent oneinvolves a boy of 12 with complexneeds who, upon first arriving atFootsteps’ doors was wheelchairbound. With the special therapyprovided this young man was able toconquer his fear and discomfortabout being put into a standingposition and, against all odds, hasjust been able to take 50 completelyindependent steps.
The results speak for themselves.Footsteps, through its pioneering,360 degree ‘Spider’ apparatus, andother forward thinking therapies,offers young people hope,confidence and independence.
Please contact Tree of Hope to findout more about how we can helpyou to fundraise towards the costsof therapy at the Footsteps Centre.
An insight into FootstepsThe Footsteps Centre provides intensive rehabilitation for children and young peoplewith Cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, epilepsy, neurological and neuromotordisorders, as well as undiagnosed conditions.
FEATUrED THErApisT
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Gift AidGift Aid is a tax relief allowing UK charities to reclaiman extra 25% in tax on every eligible donation madeby a UK taxpayer. It is a wonderful resource toincrease funds for the children that Tree of Hopesupports, particularly when using JustGiving.
However, please be aware that Gift Aid should notbe claimed when:• Making a donation in return for tickets (raffles, events and auctions) or goods and services (including ‘experience’ days). This is because they are not 'freewill' gifts - you are getting something in return for your donation. If we decide a donation has been incorrectly marked as eligible for Gift Aid, we can’t submit it.• Making a donation on behalf of someone else or a group of people. For example, if a friend gives you £10 which you donate to your Fundraising Page using your own card and details. Even if your friend is a UK taxpayer, the donation is not eligible because HMRC needs to know the details of the person actually contributing the funds.• Making a donation on behalf of a company. You can only make Gift Aid declarations on your own taxpayer status when spending your own money. However, a company can claim tax relief on the donation when donating directly to the charity.• Making a donation to a family member who's taking part in an event and their charity is contributing to the cost. For example, if you're donating to a close family member who is doing an overseas trek and the charity is paying for the cost of their trip.
HMRC do check that Gift Aid remains in line withtheir guidelines. If you experience Gift Aid beingremoved from your campaign donationsretrospectively it is because the gift wasn’t eligiblefor Gift Aid.
If you have any queries about this occurring on your JustGiving campaign page, please contact theJustGiving support team.
Campaign Donations - Helpfulinformation for parents and DonorsThere are a few helpful things that you can do inorder to ensure your donations are reaching the rightcampaign securely and accurately, and to make iteasier for our Tree of Hope finance team to receiveand identify your donations. Please could you let yourfundraisers know where relevant, as sometimes wehave real difficulty in identifying where donationshave come from. An email would be great so that ourfinance team will be aware of what to expect.
1) Donations by postWhen sending in cheques (made out to Tree of Hope)for a child’s campaign, please ensure at all times thatthe cheque has the full name of the child to whom itrelates written on the back. Also please enclose acovering note/letter to help us acknowledge receipt.
2) Donations by BACsWhen paying in or transferring money direct to ouraccount, it is imperative that the campaignname/child name is given with the payment –otherwise we have no reference and sometimes it isimpossible to find out where this money should go! Ifyou can also email separately [email protected] advising of apayment that has been made this would beappreciated.
3) Cash DonationsIf donations are put into our account in cash, againthese need to be clearly identified by us in order forus to know the campaign to which it relates to so wecan allocate to the right child. A reference, eg. nameof child would be the best way to identify thecampaign to which it relates.
4) Any other DonationsAll other donations that you may be aware of comingin from CAF, Match Funding, Charities Trust, EasyFundraising or similar, please share the informationwith us at Tree of Hope using [email protected] email address.
Hopefully we can then ensure all campaigns arecredited with the correct amounts.
Fundraising news & information
In November a group of Tree of Hope volunteers, led by one of our Trustees Pip Lightbody, organised a wonderful wine tastingevening called ‘Around the World in 12 Vineyards’ at WoodsBrasserie in Tunbridge Wells. The evening was a fabulous success,with many local businesses and friends of the charity entering teamsin the competition and enjoying some tasty beverages whilst raisingfunds for Tree of Hope. The event raised just over £700 – our thanksto everyone who helped organise and participated!
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Staff within the Morson Groupselect two charities every year tobenefit from all of their internalemployee fundraising andvolunteering. The nomination of acharity often stems from employeepersonal experience, and Morson isproud to support and promoteawareness of worthwhile causes.The Morson’s Charity Committeedrives fundraising initiatives acrossthe Group, enabling employeeparticipation and support fromaround the country.
In 2015 the Morson Group choseTree of Hope to be one of thecharities it wanted to support.Throughout the year staff took partin lots of fundraising activities,including ‘Bake-off’ competitions,cycle challenges, fancy dress days,the Morson family Fun Day, andmuch much more!
On the 23rd February Gill Gibb, Treeof Hope’s new CEO, went toManchester with FundraisingManager Emma Bourne to meet theMorson Group CEO, Ged Mason,and the Morson Charity Committeeto accept an amazing £23,000cheque for Tree of Hope! This verygenerous amount will help us tosupport many more families in 2016who are raising funds for theirchild’s operation, therapy orspecialist equipment.
Morson has always been a verypeople/family orientated companywhere we like to get all our staffinvolved with our charity fundraising in any way we can. If it’sfrom a dress down day to a longdistance charity challenge, we feelthat having staff participate in theseevents brings us all closer togetherwhich ensures we as a company areworking as one. Charity events helpto not only motivate and keep ourworkforce fit and healthy but also to make us all aware of the plight of others not so fortunate. Eachyear we ask the staff to vote forwhat charities we will support thefollowing year. Giving them thechoice helps to give them themotivation to raise money but alsoto meet the charities and to gain aninsight into the other sides of lifethey have not witnessed before. Allthis will then pass down into theirwork ethos of an open and honestmanner, acting with the utmostintegrity, professionalism andhonesty. Joanne McGowanfrom Morson Group
Tree of Hope
Charity of The Year 2015 with Morson Group
Your company orbusiness couldbenefit fromsupporting Tree of Hope!In addition to helping awonderful charity and manydeserving children and theirfamilies, supporting Tree ofHope could help your companywith: increasing sales, improvedcorporate or brand image,brand differentiation, improvedemployee recruitment, staffmorale and retention, settingshared values with your targetmarket, broadened customerbase, reaching new customersegments, and linking with thelocal community.
If you would like to help bysupporting Tree of Hope andwould like more information,please contact Emma Bourneon 01892 535525 [email protected] would love to hear from you!
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Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR)was first developed in 1898, but hasbecome more popular over the last30 years as techniques haveadvanced. It's a neurosurgicalprocedure aimed at reducingspasticity (tight and stiff muscletone) in the lower limbs. It's mostcommonly used for children withspastic diplegia (two limbsaffected) which accounts for 25 to30% of children born with cerebralpalsy.
The surgery aims to:• achieve a long-term reduction in spasticity
• improve function and mobility
• increase independence
• increase range of motion and improve positioning
The changes to NHS funding will bea huge blow to many families whowere expecting their child to beable to receive the surgery theyneed in 2016 and 2017. In the UK,the National Institute of ClinicalExcellence (NICE) has issuedguidance demonstrating that SDR ismost effective for children between4 and 10 years of age, so for thosehoping to have the surgery theyonly have a small window of timefor the operation to take place.
Tree of Hope is here to help insituations like this one. SDR is stillavailable on a self-funding basis inthe UK, and also abroad. Manyfamilies who need to pay for privatetreatment have successfully raisedthe funds they need to do so withTree of Hope. If you need advice or
support around your child’s needs,please contact our family team on01892 535525.
SDR is not suitable for every childwith spastic diplegia. Tree of Hopefully recommend discussing yourinterest in this surgery with yourchild's medical advisors. Tree ofHope does not endorse orrecommend any treatments ortherapies. Always consult a doctoror medical practitioner beforestarting or paying for any therapy.
selective Dorsal rhizotomy(sDr) no longer available on the nHsFrom the 1st February 2016, sDr is no longer available for children in the UK throughour national Health service. This is due to funding not being available, and will bereviewed in 2 year’s time.
www.treeofhope.org.uk
Keep up to date with all thelatest news from Tree of Hope
treeofhope.childrenscharity
TreeofHopeCC
TreeofHopeCC
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Jake is 5 years old and has theseverest form of quadriplegiccerebral palsy (CP) and has noindependent movement at all. Healso has uncontrolled epilepticseizures caused by the meningitis.Jake can’t walk, stand up, crawl, oreat by himself. Jake even needs helpreaching for and holding toys. Heneeds physiotherapy daily and hasspecialised equipment includingseating, standing frames and asleeping system to prevent himforming spinal deformities as he’sgrowing. Jake is totally reliant onothers for all of his needs, includingtoileting, playing and all the otherdaily tasks we all take for granted.Jake currently cannot talk but hetries so hard to!
Jake currently has between 10 – 50seizures a day, and has missedabout 50% of school this yearbecause of these. This is such ashame as Jake is an inquisitive,happy, social boy who loves peopleand having fun.
Jake’s disability can be very difficultfor him and us, but we aredetermined to have as many good
and fun times as possible. We willnot let Jake’s condition stop himfrom enjoying life to the full and we are determined that he shouldparticipate in as much as otherchildren and families do! This iswhere we need your help!
We are fundraising for stem celltherapy, equipment andphysiotherapy that couldsignificantly change Jake’s qualityof life for the better by helpingimprove his movement.
With your help Jake will have abetter chance of an independentfuture. Would you be willing to helpus in our journey to change Jake’slife? By donating safely here,www.treeofhope.org.uk/jakes-journey/, you’d be helping tochange Jake’s life.
Jake’s epilepsy is very complex andwithin the last year he’s beenadmitted to hospital as anemergency over 20 times – we’velost count of the exact number oftimes. He is currently on twomedications but the epilepsy isuncontrolled and he has between 10
– 50 seizures a day. We have triedseveral medications and each hasdifferent side effects.
Last year Jake was becomingincreasingly tired and an EEGshowed this was caused by sub-clinical seizures. These are almostconstant seizures without thetypical associated movements soare very difficult to distinguish fromtiredness. Jake spent 17 days inhospital whilst he was given acocktail of extra medications to tryand break the seizure cycle.
Unfortunately during this time itbecame unsafe to feed Jakeanymore, so he had to have afeeding tube fitted and now hasnothing but specialist medical milkfeeds. Feeding him anything elseby mouth risks it going down thewrong way into his lungs andcausing chest infections, or choking.Jake loved his food and looks onjealously whenever we eat, which isheartbreaking. Intensive facialphysiotherapy will help Jake learnto eat again, but this is onlyavailable privately.
Jake’s Journey
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It is such a shame that Jake hasmissed so much school this year ashe loves school and is a very socialboy. Our very happy, inquisitive boywho is very nosy and loves to laughand shout his vocalisations atfriends and family, has become aboy who still wants to be happy butis not as engaged in life and hisboisterous little sister as he used tobe. He still has sub-clinical episodes,and we've been trialling additionalmedications to prevent these - withlimited success. The side effects ofthe medication is that he gets evenmore tired, and cannot go to school.It is a vicious circle.
Jake’s three year old sister Jessdotes on him and really tries to lookafter him, but it is also difficult forher to come to terms with not beingable to play fully with her brother. Itis also difficult for us to see ourbright and sociable little boyfrustrated because he is not able toplay and communicate with otherchildren because of his disabilities.
The amount of expensive, specialistequipment Jake needs to take partin day-to-day family activities can
mean sometimes we are unable todo things other families take forgranted. For example, going on thebeach is near impossible without aspecialist beach buggy only a fewbeaches have on loan. Staying overwith friends and family or going onholiday is also very difficult withoutJake’s special mattress, which isbulky and not easily transportableor a portable hoist to move himsafely.
While Jake does have a severedisability and medicalcomplications, Jake isn’t just hisdisability. He is a typical five yearold boy. He really enjoys going toschool, he loves films like Marvels‘Avengers’, Pixar’s ‘Finding Nemo’and ‘Cars’, and his face lights upwhen songs like ‘Move Like Jagger’and ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williamscome on the radio. Jake’s also anoutrageous flirt, who flutters hiseyelids and has a wide smile forseemingly everyone he encounters!
Thank you for taking the time toread this. With your help, Jake willhave the chance of a better future.
Jake’s family are running a Tree of Hope stall at thesurrey Heath show onSaturday 30th April toraise awareness and funds.
Do pop along and visitthem if you are in the area!www.surreyheathshow.org
Would you be willing to help us in our journey to change Jake’s life?
By donating safely here,www.treeofhope.org.uk/jakes-journeyyou’d be helping to change Jake’s life.
Jake with sister Jess
Jake and his family
Jake
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Around half of the adult populationdon’t have a will. This can bebecause we believe we don’t needone and we don’t have enoughassets. Many assume their assetswill go to their other half in theevent of their death. And for some,it’s simply the act of talking aboutthe taboo subject or ‘tempting fate’.
peace of mindIt’s imperative to have an up-to-date will regardless of your age,marital status or wealth.
One certainty in life is that we willall die, but no one knows when thatday will come.
Having a will means your wishes arefollowed and the most importantreason, peace of mind.
Having an open discussion withyour nearest and dearest aboutwhat will happen to your body,assets, and most importantly whowill look after any young children,takes the burden off those leftbehind.
Which cause will youchoose?According to recent figures releasedby Remember A Charity, 74% ofadults say they give to charities intheir lifetime, with 35% saying theywill leave money to charity in theirwill. However, only 7% do.
After you’ve gone, charities won’tcontinue to benefit from thevaluable donations in your lifetime,unless you cover this in your will.
Even leaving a small amount to acharity close to your heart canmake a big difference.
Eliminate the riskWriting a will has benefits when itcomes to inheritance tax and assetprotection. It is also helpful withcaring for relatives who are disabledor vulnerable. And if someone is in asecond marriage, a will can ensurethat children from previousrelationships are taken care of.In the event of your death, if you’reunmarried (and sometimes whenyou are!) and without a will, youface a serious risk that the moneywill not be distributed as you wish.
You get what you pay forReviewing wills regularly isimportant. I recommend doing so atleast every 3-5 years, or sooner ifthere’s a change in circumstances orlegislation.
You should see a solicitor who isboth qualified and experienced inadvising on wills. As with mostthings in life, you get what you pay for.
We should all also considerpreparing Lasting Powers ofAttorney (LPAs) to state who youwould like to look after your affairsshould you be unable to. Many thinkthese are only relevant for those ata later stage in life.
In my experience, people can findthemselves unable to look aftertheir affairs at different points in life,after an accident, illness or beingoverseas.
so, take action in 2016 and putplans in place that will outlast yournew year’s gym membership.
Find out more about making a will atwww.rememberacharity.org.uk/making-a-will/
Get your priorities in order for 2016
Iain Wanstall, Wills and Trusts Specialist at Labrums Solicitors
it’s 2016. For your new Year’s resolutions you decidedto lose weight, quit smoking, drink less. But have youpromised yourself to get your assets in order?
Tree of Hope has just joined‘remember A Charity’, aconsortium of over 140registered charities aiming to do what no single charity hasever been able to achieve on itsown – to change the perceptionsand perspectives of the nationtowards charitable legacies.
Remember a Charity’s ultimategoal is to encourage more peopleto think about leaving charitablegifts when a writing a Will, sothat over time we can makelegacy giving a social norm.
It’s a common myth that only the rich and famous leave moneyto charity when they die. Thiscouldn’t be any further from the truth.
The reality is thatwithout gifts left inWills by people likeyou, many of thecharities we knowand supportwouldn’t even exist.Charitable legacies are thefoundation for many good causes in the UK and are vital in continuing their work.
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Tree of Hope invites all of our children to participatein our ‘Thank You’ card art competition! We would like each child to draw a picture of any one of the four themes below. You can also include amessage of thanks within your picture if you want to.
The chosen winners drawings/paintings will be printed on the front of our 2016 thank you cards, whichwill be sent out to everybody who supports Tree of Hope this year.
Win YOUrsELF A FUn AnD COLOUrFUL TOY BUnDLE!
We will be picking four winners, one from each theme, and each winner will receivea fun & colourful toy bundle!
All entries must be received by 29th April 2016
Please send all entries in the post to ‘Marketing, 43a Little Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1YP
• You and your family
• You taking part in your favourite hobby
• A self-portrait
• A photo of yourself holding up a bold ‘thank you’ message. (if choosing this option you are agreeing to putting your child’s face on a thank you card for Tree of Hope donors)
• No glitter• Nothing stuck on • A4 size paper only• All entrants must be under 18 years old, and have a campaign with Tree of Hope (or have a sibling with a campaign)• Please write your name, age, contact number and theme on the back of your drawing You may also write a short message if you wish
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Our staff team supportTree of Hope families by:• Assisting with the creation of a Tree of Hope online fundraising campaign via Just Giving
• Making Fundraising tools and advice available to parents
• Ensuring staff are available on the telephone
• Enabling each campaign to claim gift aid because it is part of registered charity Tree of Hope
• Putting families in touch with other families in similar situations for moral support
• Giving greater exposure to campaigns nationally through being associated with a well recognised charity brand
• Support with managing funds and paying invoices
Who We Help...• Children under the age of 18, with access to funds up to their 25th birthday
• Children anywhere within the UK
• A child suffering from a disability, illness or autism
Medical Conditions wehave helped families with(not an exhaustive list)
Cerebral PalsyRetts SyndromeDowns syndrome Global Developmental DelayHypermobilityCongenital HypotoniaEpilepsyVisual ImpairmentsMeningitis complicationsLebers Congenital AmaurosisDravet SyndromeHypoxic Ischemic EncephalopathyInjuryDystonia
What you can fundraise forEquipment including but not limitedto trikes, hydrotherapy pools,specialist pushchairs & sensoryequipment
Therapy - Including; physiotherapy,horse riding & swimming lessons
Operations and treatment insideand outside of the UK
House Adaptations includingsensory gardens and bathroomadaptions
Please remember to include all your fundraising needs at the start of your campaign
Tree of Hope helps children and young people with a disability or illness by supportingtheir families to raise the funds that they need to pay for specialist care that is notavailable through the health care system.
How we help...
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D D M M Y Y
I want to support Tree of Hope to improve the lives of sick and disabled children!Please send to: Fundraising Manager, Tree of Hope, 43a Little Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1YP
Title First Name Surname
Address
Telephone Email
I enclose a cheque made payable to Tree of Hope for £
I wish to make a gift regularly and have completed the Standing Order form below
Standing Order please send to Tree of Hope (address above) not your bank
If you use online banking you can set up your standing order or make a one-off donation through your on-line account as younormally would rather than completing this form. Please make us aware of any donations you send in this way by [email protected]
Your Bank Name
Bank Address
Account Number Sort Code
Name(s) of Account Holder(s)
Please pay to HSBC, 2 Devonshire Road, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1AT, for the credit of Tree of Hope, Account Number 31498045, Sort Code 40-10-14
The sum of £ (please repeat in words)
Please take my gift Once Weeky Monthly Annually
Commencing until further notice
Signature Date
Please amend any previous standing order to this beneficiary Ref:
Gift Aid Tax DeclarationI confirm that I am a UK income Tax or Capital Gains Tax payer, of an amount at least equal to the amount to bereclaimed. I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amountof Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference. I wish Tree of Hope to reclaim25p in every pound from HMRC on all the donations I make on or after the date of this declaration as Gift Aid.
Signature Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1149254 / Scotland SCO42611
Tree of Hope offers hope to sick and disabled children living in the UK and theirfamilies by helping them to raise funds for vital operations that the NHS won’t orcan’t provide, therapies and treatments needed for rehabilitation and improvement,and specialist disability equipment and/or adaptations to a family home.
We need your support to make a difference! You can help to improve the lives of children with complex disabilities and illnesses bymaking a regular donation or a one-off gift to Tree of Hope.
Your gift will enable Tree of Hope to:• continue providing the legitimacy of belonging to a well-respected charity to hundreds of families, enabling them to access funds for their child that would not be possible otherwise• offer online giving platforms for fundraising, making the fundraising journey far more simple for the family than it could be otherwise• provide advice and guidance on the best ways of fundraising, and giving support throughout a family’s fundraising campaign, including dealing with invoices and suppliers, and sharing news of other families in similar positions, reducing the stress for families in very difficult situations
support Tree of Hope
The Races take place on a 10.5k looped course on thepromenade that stretches from the west of Bexhill tothe most easterly point along the picturesque seafrontpassing the iconic De La Warr Pavillion. The eventattracts both serious competitors from across the UKfor the marathon as well as many fun-runners and first-time runners for the relay event and half marathon. Forthose of you unfamiliar with Bexhill visitwww.discoverbexhill.com
There are individual race trophies and spot prizes withevery competitor receiving a commemorative medal forparticipating, plus each runner’s number is entered intoa draw to win £100
This is a charity event held to raise much needed fundsfor Tree of Hope which allows entrants to raiseindividual sponsorship for either Tree of Hope or to aidan individual child’s campaign if they wish to do so.
In addition to the popular adult events, there are alsojunior races for 4 to 14 year olds to enter over distancesof 500m, 1k and 2k. All junior participants also receive a medal and there is a prize for the best fancy dressoutfit worn.
Events like the Starfish Races are only possible thanksto the help of many lovely people who choose tovolunteer their help on the day. We need approximately50 marshals to ensure that the race is safe andenjoyable. No previous experience is necessary andsupport is given. If you are available to give some timeto volunteer, please contact Tree of Hope.
If you have any questions please contact Emma Bourneon 01892 535525 or [email protected] [email protected]
Feedback: A runner from last years event, Jaclyn Ginn,said afterwards “Everything was executed so well fromthe friendly people registering us, the marshals always havingencouraging words and asmile and cheering foryou, the water stationswere manned withfriendly people, the MCguys were kind and I feltlike the whole day wasarranged just for me!”
STARFISH RACESin aid of Tree of Hope
Bexhill-on-Sea Sunday 15 May 2016in association with the Bexhill runners and Triathletes Club four volunteers, joined by a team of helpers on eventday, working with our new Fundraising Manager Emma Bourne, have organised a running event that includes a fullMarathon, Half Marathon and 10k relay plus children’s races in aid of Tree of Hope! The event is licensed by UKAthletics and is a partner of BBC Get inspired.
To enter the Starfish Marathon via onlineregistration and for more details about all theevents, please visit www.starfishraces.co.ukPlaces are limited so please register early to avoid missing out!
Event sponsored by
