TV Programme Tonight

[Lesley Jay]

There is a documentary on Channel 4 tonight, Wednesday, at 9 pm called My New Face. On it there is a lovely little boy named Angelo who is badly disfigured. I found a charity last year who were prepared to help him and part of tonights programme is all about Angelo.

Nothing to do with gardening.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi LJ,

Thanks for reminding us, I saw it advertised but like usual forgot when it was on!

Are you involved with the charity? Maybe we could have a fundraiser, £1 entry to a compitition or something..... I can imagine everyone would be up for it.

Mandy

[Alice]

Thanks for the info Lesley. Will try to watch. And THANK YOU Mandy for raising the charity issue. Yes, I would certainly be up for some fund raising by the grapes and would be happy to help with the administrative work involved.

Maybe we could concentrate on small local charities. I'm sure we all give to Oxfam, and the like ,but smaller charities have to actively raise money.

One local charity I was helped by was Heartswell. They operate in the Plymouth region and exist to help heart patients at Derrifor Hospital but have opened their doors to a wider audience. In that context they provide affordable, suitable, accommodation for the relatives of patients who don't live in the area.

When we were on holiday (from Scotland) in Cornwall in July , my husband had a stroke and was admitted to the hospital. The hotel we were staying at was 20 miles away. There was no accommodation near the hospital and I don't drive.

To cut a long story, Heartswell provided me with accommodation in their lodge 5 minutes walk from the hospital, and all the support I could have asked for. I thought I had problems until I heard the circumstances of some of the other people staying there. I really just don't know what any of us would have done without them.

I'm fund raising for them - raffle tickets and that kind of thing, but for any grapes who live in that area they have plenty going on to raise funds.

Good news is my husband has made a full recovery and is wonderfully well.

What does everybody else think about grapes getting involved in charity.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Alice, I think its a brill idea....will have a think to see if I can come up with any ideas. Hope your OH is now OK. DDL

[Earthbabe]

It's great to hear stories like that. I too think it is a good idea.

[Alison]

I know it's a while off but we could have a who can grow the largest, longest or what ever next year which kind of keeps it in the GYO theme. If one of us acts as administrator, anybody who wants to enter can send them an entry fee, most of the money goes to the chosen charity and the winner gets a small prize - we can post pictures of our entries on this site complete with a tape measure to show the size - would have to be an element of trust but you've got to trust people sometimes! What does anybody think?

[NOG]

Couldn't we have the winner choses the Charity.

As i expect we all have a pet one.

[Alice]

Charity

Offcourse all the details would have to be worked out. AND we would have to get the agreement of the powers that be. I'm sure L J would help us with that one. As for trust - well I would trust my fellow grapes to measure their carrots, weigh their potatoes, post their pics or whatever. What is the pont in cheating. You cheat no one but yourself.

Must go, watching a New Face, which started all this.

[Alice]

Thanks for the alert to the programme L J. Very heartening and heartbreaking. Let's see what grapes want to do to help people in distress. I'm sure you'll do your best to facilitate that.

[Lesley Jay]

I will Alice. It is truly heartbreaking. Angelo's family were over joyed that a British charity was prepared to help him. It was the first sign of any hope for Angelo. Then I took the heartbreaking phone call from Sarah at the charity. Such terrible news about his condition.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

The program was so moving, lets stop talking and start acting. Can we put plans in place to do something?

I like the idea of keeping it GYO related.

Angelo comes from a deprived area maybe money to his family could help improve his quality of life? Maybe for food or medical aid?

What does anyone think?

Mandy

[denise]

Was out last night so i missed the programme - but any charity thingy linked to all grapes favortie (most of the time) hobby what could be better.. PLEASE count me in!

[kirsty b]

Program last night was excellent. I'm definitely up for something GYO related that could benefit charity(ies)

Kirsty