The Tenovus Cancer Care Goodnight Walk 2016

The annual Tenovus Cancer Care Goodnight Walk is an event that is as inspiring as it is fun. Its a chance for all those who have been affected by cancer to come together and literally light up the night. As people of all ages came together and walk to raise money to fight cancer and to support each other.

The 2016 event was no exception as it was a night of fun, dancing, community and frivolity with at its a heart a serious message of hope for the people whose lives had been touched by this disease.

At the event as people geared up for the walk there were hula hooping, dancing, music, beauty stalls, a selfie mirror, our very own live choir singing and and more joyful entertaining then you could shake a stick at. As I wandered the event people dressed in outlandish outfits, amazing colours and bright lights wandered past.

Then with a whoosh they were off, setting off to make a loop of the five and ten miles walks. People of all ability and physically fitness setting off to make a difference for themselves and others.

On route they were given the opportunity to light candles in brightly coloured jars in memories of those they were walking to support.

As a volunteer I was given a lift to one of the station where we set up a bright, light and welcoming beacon for our walkers complete with water and a bathroom break to refresh and reinvigorate them.

As the night drew to a close and the last of the participants past I was left with a feeling of warmth that only came with the knowledge that we were really helping people. That in no small way we had all helped to light up the night in the face of cancer.

If you still want to make a difference there is still time as there is another Goodnight Walk being held in Swansea on the 16th of July, interested? Then follow the link below:

http://www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/get-involved/sign-up-to-an-event/goodnight-walk-2016/

Tenovus Cancer Care: The goodnight walk

 Its a sad fact that one in two of us will at some point in our lifetime develop some sort of cancer. This is has gone up in recent years from one in three of us doing so.

Why is this the case? Well there are a number of factors such as the amount we drink, our diets, if we smoke, how much exercise we get and how much we decide to expose ourselves to the sun.

But as sad as these figures are there, there are organisations out there willing to tackle cancer and its effects on society and Tenovus Cancer Care is one such organisation. As one of the leading cancer charities based in Wales, Tenovus has worked tirelessly to educate, reasearch and support efforts to alleviate this illness and those suffering from it.

But to do that Tenovus needs the support of the general public and thats where fundraising activities like the goodnight walk come in. The money raised from this event and events like it will go into funding things like the mobile cancer support units. Vans designed to go out into the community and give direct treatment to those struggling to get to their appointments at their local hospitals.

Or Tenovus Cancer Care's own support line which is there twenty-four seven for those suffered from cancer or for those whose lives have been effected by this disease. These are just a few examples of the things that Tenovus are doing to fight and one day overcome it.

The night itself (set in my very own city of Cardiff) was a fun, vibrate and exciting event, filled with music, colour and festivity all designed to light up the night. There was group zumba, a choir, sparkly fashion, a selfie corner and on a more serious note the walker's wall where walkers could leave a messaging dedicating the walk to those that they had lost or were still fighting cancer. It was also a great success, helping to raise at the very least £40,000 for those suffering from cancer.

So next year if you've been effected by cancer or want to make a difference to those who have please feel free to come and fight the good fight for the goodnight walk.


Below I've included a link below to Tenovus Cancer Care, follow it if you want to know more.

http://www.tenovuscancercare.org.uk/

The RSPB: Giving nature a home

As anyone knows who regularly follows this blog I'm a big fan of nature and the natural world. Its beautiful and precious, not only in its only right but also in the way its fate and ours are in inextricably bound. Its for this reason (and to escape from the tedium of an office based role) that I decided to start volunteering for the RSPB.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds was set up in 1889 as a way to promote the conservation of birds and the environment they live in. More recently the RSPB has expanded its focus to including all wildlife, for the simple reason that our environment and wildlife is so interconnected.

As such I started volunteering around Cardiff with a project designed to promote the idea of more children and adults coming directly contact with the natural world. This could include activities such children creating bird feeders made from vegetable fat and seeds to hang in their garden (a simple activity that can make a real difference to birds in winter). To directing people to simple nature based activities around Cardiff (such as a local flock of Pied Wagtails that have taken up residence in the trees on Cardiff high street come dark). Or even guided nature walks or spotting activities for children where we use sweep nets to show the types of creepy crawlies that kids love to see.

This type of work is important, as a recent study by the RSPB showed that just one in five children was found to be connecting to nature in a realistically achievable manner. Now you might be there thinking so what? But the fact is that for quite a few years now nature and wildlife has been in quite a serious decline and by educating future generations (and getting them enthusiastic about getting outdoors) we may be able slow or even halt this frightening development.

So if your reading this you might be thinking well what can I do right now to help? Well there are a number of simple steps that the RSPB recommend that you can do to help nature right from the comfort of your back garden. Why not start feeding birds during the harder winter months (although remember to clean the feeder regularly to stop the spread of lethal diseases), invest in a pond with shallow edges, plant trees and shrubs (particularly ones that provide fruit in the garden), made dead wood piles and when mowing the garden raise the high of the mower to provide more of a home for insects.

There are many ways for you to help nature and by taking practical steps and supporting charities like the RSPB you can make a real difference in to the natural world.

I've included some links to the RSPB website below with more hints and tip for giving nature a home.

https://homes.rspb.org.uk/page/projects