There was magic in the air when a dashing dragon stomped its way into the grounds of a children’s hospice.
The mythical model has been donated by Norfolk’s ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure and will spend the next 12 months at The Nook – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices’ (EACH) base in Framingham Earl, near Norwich.
Among those to drop him off were Dippy, the attraction’s dinosaur mascot, who met children including Bradley Jackson (pictured).
Adam Goymour, Park Director at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure, said: “With Christmas just round the corner, we wanted to spread a little festive cheer to those who need it most and we hope the children and families at The Nook enjoy the beautifully-painted dragon. Dippy and our staff enjoyed making the special delivery and it’s lovely to support and help an amazing organisation like EACH.”
ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure bought the dragon at an auction organised by the charity Break, after it had been used during the 2015 GoGoDragons interactive art sculpture trail in Norwich. The display brought 84 large dragon sculptures and 120 school dragons to the city and this one appeared at Millennium Plain. It was painted by artist Will Adams, who has gone on to paint murals for ROARR! One side is dark and depicts the extinction of dinosaurs while the other is more colourful and shows them in their prime.
Caroline Allen, EACH Senior Corporate Fundraiser, said: “What a lovely gesture from our friends at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure. The dragon is a beautiful, eye-catching addition to our hospice grounds and the children loved seeing Dippy through the windows at The Nook. It’s a shame he couldn’t come inside but it still made for a very exciting morning. We were delighted to welcome the team and are grateful for their kind loan of the dragon.”
Michelle Briggs, EACH Service Manager at The Nook, added: “We’re extremely grateful to everyone at ROARR! Dinosaur Adventure. The dragon has taken pride of place within our grounds and looks at home already. It’s a fun, striking addition and I’m sure it will be a real talking point for our families and staff.”
Steely cyclists saddled up for a bumper biking challenge and raised more than £50,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The charity’s popular Ride for Life event took place last weekend, with 32 people pedalling 200 miles through the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire countryside. Many more signed up for a one-day, 70-mile package, with 39 riding on Friday and 34 on both Saturday and Sunday. Between them, they raised a staggering £51,225 for EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia.
Events fundraiser Hannah Forbester said: “It was a huge success. “Everything went smoothly and everyone seemed to enjoy the experience. In terms of the amount raised, it’s an outstanding total. We were on around £45,000 by close of play on Thursday, so a further £6,000 came in while the cyclists were in action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We couldn’t be happier and there’s still more sponsorship money to come, so that figure will grow even more. We were also thrilled to get such high numbers taking part. Everyone bonded and enjoyed sharing the experience together. Little groups formed, depending on pace, and there was plenty of encouragement for each other along the way. People made a point of clapping others as they arrived at the rest stops. We’ve had lots of positive feedback since and I know people who did the three-day challenge enjoyed cycling alongside those taking part on individual days. They said it gave them a real injection of energy.”
More than 300 classic scooters from all over East Anglia blazed a spectacular trail during an Easter fundraiser in rural Norfolk.
The dazzling convoy organised by Norwich Scooter Collective visited The Nook, run by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) in Framingham Earl.
Kind-hearted riders gathered for pictures before handing over a cash donation of £1,600, in addition to toys, books and games for youngsters to enjoy.
A further donation is set to follow as the club have a St George’s Day ride planned on Sunday, 24th April.
The Easter fundraiser has become a long-standing tradition among the club’s members. They started their journey outside the Broadland District Council offices in Yarmouth Road, Norwich, and the impressive procession included classic Vespas and Lambrettas. They were joined by friends owning Volkswagen vans.
Determined Olive Duffield is back behind the counter at her favourite charity shop – a year after breaking her pelvis. The long-serving East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) volunteer, 82, was forced to take a year out after suffering her injury in early 2021. She also had a bout of shingles but was always determined to return to the shop in Long Stratton. She has been a regular fixture there for more than a quarter of a century and started volunteering in early 1995, working at the former shop that raised funds for the old Quidenham hospice.
Now she is back where she belongs, dutifully giving up two hours a week every Friday morning. “I’m as good as I’m going to be,” joked Olive, referring to her recent brushes with injury and illness. I never thought about not coming back – it was always something I wanted to do. I wanted to get back in the shop as soon as possible because it’s something I’ve always enjoyed. I don’t get to see many people so enjoy the chance to chat with customers. It gets me out and I like the sense of helping others. The more money we take the better, because of the charity we’re supporting. I’ve known many of our customers for years and seen children grow up, now coming into the shop with their own little ones. There have been so many changes but it’s something I continue to enjoy and would recommend to anyone.”
A kind-hearted nine-year-old raised nearly £2,500 after taking on a 25-mile charity bike ride in rural Norfolk. Ella-May Saunders, who lives in Jermyn Way, Tharston, completed the challenge for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
She cycled for three hours, with one quick pit stop, and was rightly proud of herself after raising an astonishing £2,473. Ella-May’s fundraiser was in memory of James Thorndyke, the baby son of a close family friend who died in February 2017.
James had Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and received care at EACH’s former Quidenham hospice. He died five days before his first birthday. His mum, Susie, is friends with Ella-May’s mum, Louise, and herself a successful fundraiser for the charity, having held two balls in 2018 and 2020 and donated just over £40,000.
Louise said: “We’re so proud of Ella-May. She didn't moan once, stuck to her task and completed the challenge with no problems at all. We only stopped once, for a quick bite to eat and drink in Bunwell. Other than that, she completed the route in one go, in three hours.”
Ella-May added: “It was tough but worth it in the end.”
A series of training and information sessions have been organised for volunteers keen to become part of a charity’s Help at Home service.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.
Help at Home is one of its key volunteer services and involves helping families with everyday jobs like shopping, collecting prescriptions, cooking, vacuuming, dusting, washing, ironing and gardening. Other roles include looking after pets and sibling support, including helping children and young people with their homework. One-off projects – things that might not get done otherwise - could include decorating, painting, clearing out rooms and helping families move house.
EACH is keen to hear from anyone able to help, either once a week or once a month. Volunteers can be flexible and all help is appreciated.