Category: News

Unhappy childhood inspired Swansea man to raise cash for Children in Need

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A self-employed Big Issue seller is raising funds for Children in Need through a week-long series of wacky stunts – inspired by his own unhappy childhood.

Andy George-Thomas, 29, says every child deserves a childhood, something he says he largely missed out on a he moved between foster carers.

The Swansea High View resident, who sells the Big Issue to shoppers from his Quadrant Shopping Centre pitch, has worn fancy dress, taped his mouth shut to ensure he stayed silent for the day and will even have his arms, legs and chest waxed as he aims to raise a bucket full of cash for Pudsey.

Andy said: “I’m determined to raise as much as I can for Children in Need. I’m also donating 50p from every copy of the Big Issue I sell throughout the week. I buy the Big Issue at £1.25 a copy and sell it for £2.50. I am fully self employed and don’t claim benefits.

“I just feel sorry for children that have to suffer through disability or poverty. I had ADHD as a child and just couldn’t concentrate. I was classed as a naughty child as it wasn’t a recognised or treatable condition then.

“My mum, bless her, couldn’t cope and I ended up in respite and being moved between foster carers. It meant I had to grow up quickly and I feel I never really had a childhood.

“But every child should be able to look back and think they enjoyed a time when they didn’t have to worry about things and when they could play and not have to be grown up.”

Lindy Emms, Deputy Manager of the Quadrant Shopping Centre, said: “Andy is such a cheerful man and he’s so well known to regular visitors to the Quadrant which means just about everyone in Swansea City Centre.

“It’s wonderful; that he is doing something for Children in Need – he, more than most, knows what a worthwhile charity it is.”

And Andy says he has already had lots of support from his regular Quadrant Shopping Centre customers.

He said: “I’ve raised more than £50 after two days but I really want to get to £500 by the end of the week. I’m having my waxing done at the Quadrant Church on Friday.

“I have lots of regular customers and enjoy chatting to people at the Quadrant. I’m Swansea born and bred  and love it here. It’s rare I get any grief from people but occasionally someone will tell you to get a job.

“What loads of people don’t understand is that selling the Big Issue is my full time job. I’ve done it for around 15 years now and have really good loyal customers.

“I just think it’s really important to raise money for things like Children in Need, the children need all the help they can get.”

Big Issue Cymru Sales Outreach Worker Claire Millar says everyone involved with the Big Issue is proud of Andy’s fundraising for Children in Need.

She said: “It’s fantastic what he is doing and I have nothing but admiration for his efforts. He wants to give something back and he’s going about it in a lovely way.

“He’s a long-time Big Issue seller and fully self-employed. I just think that it’s lovely he’s putting in so much effort in raising funds for Children in Need. He’s a cracking guy and deserves a real pat on the back.”

Monday November 18th, 2013

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Outdoor festival attracts intrepid Arctic adventurers to Llangollen

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Wild river kayaker and outdoor adventurer Erik Boomer has been where no man has been before – and now he’s coming to North Wales.

The intrepid American and his Canadian partner in peril, Sarah Landry-McNair, are just back from their latest epic exploit, a 65-day 1000 kilometre crossing of Baffin Island by canoe, ski and on foot.

They will join a host of other outdoor experts, including British climber Adele Pennington, the first woman to climb Everest twice, who are hoping to inspire a new generation of extreme adventurers at the first Flo-Llangollen Festival, a three-day fiesta of the great outdoors at the Royal International Pavilion on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 15-17.

Erik, 28, and Sarah, 27, will be describing their Baffin Island experience as they braved tidal rapids, blizzards, crevasses and polar bears to cross the largest icecap on Baffin Island in a summer where it snowed almost every day with temperatures frequently below zero.

Erik, now back home in Idaho, USA, said: “I’ve never been to Wales before so I’m excited about coming.

“It was an arduous trip across Baffin Island in the coldest summer they’ve had for 30 years but it’s given us a good story to tell and hopefully it will inspire others to get out and experience what the outdoors has to offer.

“For Sarah and me, our families took us out camping, rafting and sea kayaking from when we were kids and we just loved it and we’re always looking for new things to take on.

“It’s the uncertainty that appeals. Adventure is everything that happens that’s unexpected and that’s what makes it fun.”

Flo-Llangollen is being staged by River Legacy and supported by rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Organiser Sarah Henderson said: “Llangollen is a perfect place for an event like this because of its fantastic facilities and the fact that it is easily accessible to so many people.

“We’re delighted at the lineup of people we have coming and the range of activities they can try their hands at – from archery and exe-throwing to white water kayaking and rafting.

“You could be on a mountain scrambling course with mountaineer Adele Pennington who is coming here from Nepal while for canoeists and kayakers they just don’t get better or more full-on than Erik Boomer.

“We’re even putting on mountain biking courses because Llangollen has the steepest competition track in the world and we’re giving people the chance to canoe across the Froncysyllte Aqueduct and that’s pretty extreme.”

Erik’s Baffin Island trip saw him and Sarah build their own traditional kayaks from wood and skins before setting off down the Weasel River Valley with Erik tackling the wild glacier-fed river in the first week.

It’s ranked as a Class Five, exceedingly difficult, with long and violent rapids, following each other almost without interruption, a boulder-strewn riverbed, big drops, a violent current and a very steep gradient.

But for Erik it was all in a day’s work – he is the first man ever to take a kayak down the near-sheer, four-drop, 139 foot Racehorse Falls in Washington State, http://vimeo.com/10736337

He and Sarah also had plenty of other hazards to contend with as they followed traditional Inuit routes across the frozen wastes of Baffin Island, often carrying their canoes and equipment and facing tidal rapids, snowstorms and the threat of polar bears.

Sarah, the youngest person to travel to both the North and South Poles and who grew up on Baffin Island, said: “I love it there but there aren’t any roads so you have to snow sled or dog sled everywhere unless you get a plane.

“Our trip was very wet, you’re constantly wet and cold which is tough but we ski-ed, hiked and kayaked across and we were definitely in polar bear territory.

“We saw their tracks and they were fresh. We didn’t see them but they would have seen us and we had to carry a shotgun and flares just in case because we’ve had previous scary encounters – some bears are just curious but if they’re hungry they’ll come straight for you.”

David Shiel, Senior Countryside Officer at the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB, said: “The AONB are providing financial support for the event and are running a number of cycling events over the weekend – combining a cycle along the canal with a boat ride.

“The event fits into the general move to promote the activity sector in the Dee Valley – Cadwyn and the AONB supporting the Outdoor Forum in the Dee Valley and bringing businesses together.”

The event aims to appeal to people of all ages and aims t get them out and active and Erik Boomer added: “You’re never too old to enjoy the outdoors and do something different.

“My dad is 64 and has just learned to back-country ski and he’s having a blast and is in the best shape of his life.”

The three-day festival runs from Friday, November 15, and tickets start at £5 with a wide range of activities available as well as accommodation, including camping – for full details see the website, http://www.flo-llangollen.com/

For more information on Cadwyn Clwyd projects ring 01824 705802 or e-mail to:info@cadwynclwyd.co.uk">info@cadwynclwyd.co.uk

Tuesday November 12th, 2013

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Bolton students create visual feast at Crompton Place shopping centre

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A visual feast of fine art, textiles, graphics and photography has gone on display at a Bolton shopping centre to showcase the talents of local teenagers.

Masterpieces created by students studying Art and Design at Bolton Sixth Form College are now on show at Crompton Place so shoppers can admire their striking work and learn more about the ground-breaking facilities on offer at the town centre campus.

Students currently aiming towards a BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in Art and Design and A level Photography, Textile and Graphic Design and Fine Art have this week become the first to see their wares grace the windows.

Course tutor, Gillian Vipond, said: “The whole idea came about when we were thinking of different ways to try and promote ourselves as an art and design department, and let people know of all the new facilities we now offer at our town centre campus.

“After contacting Crompton Place, we were offered some free window space at the shopping centre and thought it would be a great place to display the really good work our students do to showcase the many courses we offer in the department.

“For example, we now have dark and wet room facilities for budding photographers, as well as teaching digital techniques, which sets us apart from the rest.

“Students can also create work in 3D and get involved in more vocational work, live briefs and trips abroad, which helps give them a deeper insight and more confidence in their projects.”

Gillian, who teaches A Level Textile Design, Fine Art on the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design added: “The opportunity to display their work in their local shopping centre gives the students a target to work towards and helps get their pieces out in the real world.”

The work currently on display will be there until November 1 and then after the festive period, more artwork will find a home at Crompton Place in a bid to present more work from fine art, textiles, graphics and photography.

Crompton Place Manager, Malcolm Angus, said: “We are really happy to be supporting young people in Bolton to showcase their hard work and talent.

“It works for the shopping centre too because it adds to the reasons for people to visit us and I know shoppers will enjoy admiring the artwork.

Among the work on display at the moment are pieces by second year BTEC students, Amy James, 17, and 18-year-old Noor-Ul-Ann Ahmed.

Amy said: “I created a piece which was focused on the urban environment and used illustrations and photographs to represent life in Manchester and London.

“It took me around three weeks to complete so I’m pleased it’s going on display in the town centre.”

Noor-Ul-Ann added: “Mine was a mixed media piece based on a shop in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. The brief was to design a piece that could be on display in a shop so I used graphic design techniques, sewing, staples, glue and masking tape across a series of canvasses depicting what represents Manchester.

“I earned a distinction so I’m really excited that all my friends and family will see my work at the shopping centre.”

For more information about the college, visit ton-sfc.ac.uk/">www.bolton-sfc.ac.uk and for more information about Crompton Place, go to ton-place.co.uk/">www.crompton-place.co.uk

 

Monday November 11th, 2013

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Art class gives patients at St Asaph hospice renewed sense of purpose

St Kentigern Hospice art group led by Rachel Roberts Art therapy volunteer.. Pictured is Bernard Lake and Margaret Cooper.

A hospice patient with an incurable lung disease will be showcasing his artistic talents at an exhibition.

Bernard Lake, who lives in Prestatyn, is a member of the art group at St Kentigern Hospice, St Asaph, whose work will be on display at The Pilgrimage Art Exhibition at St Asaph Cathedral on Friday November 15 at 2.30pm.

The art sessions are conducted by Rachel Roberts, the Visual Arts Facilitator at St Kentigern Hospice.

The eight-bed in patient hospice with day care facilities provides unparalleled care for those with life-threatening and terminal illness, but has to rely on 80 per cent of its income from the generous donations of the public.

Bernard, 70, has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which causes severe difficulties in breathing, due to the narrowing of their airways.

Symptoms include increasing breathlessness when active, a persistent cough, and frequent chest infections.

The grandfather-of-three, who worked as the general manager of a lighting firm, said: “It’s brought on by smoking. When you smoke for all these years your lungs start to clog up. Eventually the lungs will collapse. Every few weeks I get chest infections, which is very tough because you can’t breathe virtually.

“I’m on antibiotics constantly, and steroids, and it doesn’t get rid of it. It’s always there, and it’s only going to get worse. Three months ago I could walk 50 feet. I can only walk 25 feet now.”

According to Bernard, the art group at St Kentigern Hospice has given him a renewed purpose.

He said: “At the beginning I thought it’s not for me, because I’m not an arty person. But when I got into it I really started to enjoy it.

“What I’m working on is going to be at St Asaph Cathedral in The Pilgrimage Art Exhibition.

“I’m looking forward to going with my wife and showing her my work. It’s an achievement I’m proud of.

“Being at the art class gives you something to aim for. It’s fantastic. I can’t praise it enough.”

The atmosphere at the art class at St Kentigern Hospice is far from sedate. The likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard rocking in the background as patients work on their masterpieces.

According to fellow group member, Alan Cockburn, 75, from Holywell, who has the same condition as Bernard, the art class at St Kentigern hospice has had a positive impact on his life.

He said: “The art class makes a world of difference. It’s relaxed laid back. It takes you mind off things. You just switch off totally.”

Ex-welder Alan has even started painting at home.

He said: “I paint at night, so the art  classes at St Kentigern have started something. It got me back into it, and I discovered a rather large amount of paint brushes and paint at home.

“I’m more used to doing window sills and things like that but I’m getting used to this now. Rachel is teaching me things like how to mix colours. She’s brilliant.

“We don’t just do art here. We get talks on things like exercising, and diet.

“Everyone’s so nice and so helpful. It’s a pleasure to come.”

The atmosphere at the art class at St Kentigern Hospice is far from sedate. The likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard rocking in the background as patients work on their masterpieces.

Bernard added: “It’s nice to have a day out and I’m sure everyone else would say the same thing. You get out for the day, get out of the house, see people and have a laugh.

“The volunteers are fantastic. You come here and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. They just look after you. It’s like a five star hotel. It’s fantastic.”

Rachel Roberts, spoke movingly of the difference the arts class makes to the patients.

She said: “We do notice that when people do start coming here their morale might be quite low, and the next time you notice that they’re a bit more cheerful, and generally we notice morale climbs quite dramatically. They look forward to coming here. They absolutely love it.

“They talk about things that they’re experiencing, and talk about their art. They’re incredibly brave. They’re not dwelling. They talk about their treatment in a very matter of fact way, and they appreciate every single day.

“Sometimes I work with them one to one and sometimes in a group, and sometimes they like to discuss things with everybody, and other times they’ll just talk to me.

“If we’ve got the group in the room we tend to have collaborative work. For example there is a large painting which is based on the St Kentigern symbol. It’s very large, vibrant and full of joy.

“Then we also have the very large mosaic to be produced again based on the St Kentigern logo.

“The big work at the moment has been the work for the cathedral based on the theme of pilgrimage because it’s the year of the pilgrimage this year.

“The chaplain from the cathedral asked if we would consider producing a series of work to exhibit at the Cathedral.

“We’ve produced again is a series of large collaborative paintings that represent a journey. They’re separate canvases. They’re going to be joined together.

“A lot of thought goes into it. Everything has been planned out by the team. The patients have come up with inspirational ideas.”

For more information about the hospice and how to make a donation go to www.stkentigernhospice.org.uk

Monday November 11th, 2013

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