The ‘old skool’ tunes from great Blackpool nightclubs like The Adam and Eve, Addisons, Illusions, Rumours and Springs, were reintroduced by local DJ Simon Fish, with special guest appearance from Adam & Eve DJ, Paul Andrews. Simon and Paul had the dancefloor packed all night with music pumping from the DJ balcony in the very impressive Lancastrian Suite. Some party goers even came in original 80s Rara skirts and Wham-esque ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts complete with glow sticks and leg warmers.

With a choice of nostalgic cocktail, either a Blue Lagoon or Cosmopolitan on arrival, and a delicious supper of BBQ pulled pork, pulled beef or falafel burger and chunky chips, The Imperial chefs and staff kept us fed and watered, to ensure we could keep on partying.

As this was a charity event, of course we had to hold one fundraiser, which was our very popular raffle with some great prizes donated by generous supporters, including £100 Argos Voucher, Afternoon Tea at the Imperial, Beaverbrooks Jewellery and food and wine hampers.

We would like to say a massive thank you to all our guests who came and danced the night away and helped to raise the fabulous amount of £4,145.10 net. You have all helped to make a better life for carers and we are so grateful for your support.

The event has proved really popular and we’ve received some great feedback, so we are hoping to make it an annual, September event. If you would like to reserve places for next year, please contact Terry on 01253 393748 or email terry.hodkinson@blackpoolcarers.org to put your name on the list.

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On Thursday 20^th July, 16 cyclists set off from Blackpool Carers Centre on Newton Drive, Blackpool to cycle to Edinburgh in what was our 4^th fundraising Cycle challenge…that’s 210 miles over 3 days!

Eleven dedicated riders have already taken part in our previous cycle challenges including last year’s Pier to Pier, they did an amazing job of encouraging the 5 new cyclists who joined us this year.

What a fantastic send-off we had from the Centre with the staff, volunteers, friends and cyclists’ families there to wave us off.

The first day of the challenge was the longest day in the saddle, with a planned route of 77 miles! We headed inland through Poulton and Cartford in some beautiful sunshine and on to our first stop at 17 miles which was The Barn at Scorton. We stopped for a brew, cake and ice cream before continuing our cycle to Beetham at 41 miles where we enjoyed lunch at The Wheatsheaf.

Another short cycle of 10 miles took us to the next water stop near Kendal where we were advised by our event organisers, Chapeau Events, to get sufficient water and snacks, as the next 26 miles were some of the most challenging, as we had to get over Shap and down to Penrith. What a view from the top of Shap and although it was quite windy and a hard ride uphill, the downhill was brilliant with some breath-taking views of the Lake District.

77 miles completed and a 4,355 ft climb.

Day 2 – Friday 21^st July

We set off after a hearty breakfast at the Premier Inn in Penrith and all got separated and lost as we tried to navigate the best way out of Penrith. You have to see the funny side of it especially as the rain started and it was really heavy along with a strong wind! The first section was a climb and we hadn’t even had chance to warm up, but hey ho we kept going.

We cycled 19 miles to our first water stop and what a fantastic surprise, as Linda who completed the Pier to Pier challenge last year was there to greet us with her smile and words of encouragement and support, just what we needed. Linda said we had to look at Carlisle Castle as we left and what a beautiful sight it was. Leaving Carlisle we carried on and at 29 miles we reached the “Welcome to Scotland” sign and thankfully the weather had started to improve.

After a fantastic lunch of soup, sandwiches and chips we set off again and had some more hard climbs, not quite as long as Shap but some short and sharp hills which tested the legs and stamina of our cyclists.

We cycled through Ecclefeckan (love that name) and on to Lockerbie for our afternoon stop. This was at 45 miles, so just another 14 to go. After the water stop, we cycled the last of the 60 miles for today and made it to a pub in Beattock called The Old Stables to meet the rest of the cyclists. The beverages never tasted so good!

60 miles and a 2,384 ft climb.

Day 3 – Saturday 22nd July

A sense of excitement ran through the team today as this is the day we reached our goal, Edinburgh. Not the best start though as the weather was horrendous. Still, it is not a Blackpool Carers Cycle Challenge without getting extremely wet!

Off we went and within 5 minutes we were all soaked to the skin; not a dry spot on any of us. Navigating our way out of Beattock and through Moffat we started another long climb. This really did test some of the cyclists! The third day in the seat, 137 miles completed and knowing we had another 71 miles to do in horrible weather.

Visibility was difficult but we were optimistic as the weather in the afternoon promised to be good. The first cyclists arrived at the water stop and had to wake up the owner as he forgot we were coming! So funny, however he soon had the kettle on and a place where we could keep dry for a little while whilst we tried to warm up. This was where we had to wring out our socks as we were that wet.

Another 20 miles with some bumps in the road (yes hills) and the weather started to clear up a little. At 37 miles we stopped for lunch at Carnwath Golf Club. What a beautiful part of the world. After a great lunch and with the weather a little easier, we started to feel the excitement building. We only had 35 miles left of our challenge, the rain had stopped and the team were buzzing.

At 57 miles we stopped for our final water stop and the noise and excitement from the team was growing! 15 miles left to go and the cyclists were doing this bit together. We set off down the canal and this had to be the funniest part of the journey as we were on cobbles! This really tested everyone’s nerves as we got shaken and knocked about. We also had to navigate past joggers, other cyclists, dog walkers, horses and even a lady who was celebrating her birthday. Of course all of the cyclists stopped and sang happy birthday to her!

We left the canal path and hit the traffic but we could see Edinburgh castle and the adrenaline was pumping. What an amazing scene as we cycled in front of the Castle. Family, friends and all of the strangers on a busy Saturday stopped to cheer us in. Celebratory pictures and sprayed Champagne was how we ended the challenge. Oh! and a random lady from Leeds wanted a picture with us all as she had a mountain bike.

The celebration meal in Edinburgh was a great way to end the 3 days, all telling funny stories and jokes about the last 3 days together with the awards handed out from Chapeau Events. Some of us went to bed after but the hard-core cyclists decided to go and enjoy an evening in Edinburgh and why not!

72 miles and 3,325 ft gain.

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our cyclists have raised a gross figure of over £29,000 with a net figure of £14,000, which will provide support and respite for our carers.

Thank you to each cyclist that took on the challenge and to all their friends and family who supported them whilst they were training and helped them to raise their fundraising target. We could not do all that we do without our Corporate and Community fundraisers.

Roll on next year’s cycle ride…are you up for the challenge!

By Terry Hodkinson, Head of Business Development and Fundraising (and Cycle Challenge regular!)

If you would like to join us for our 2024 challenge, please contact Terry on 01253 393748 or email: terry.hodkinson@blackpoolcarers.org for more information.

The post Our fantastic, fundraising Blackpool to Edinburgh cyclists have done us proud yet again…video NOW published…just take a LOOK! appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

We were so lucky, as the weather was fantastic on the day after having storms, winds and torrential rain on the days leading up to the event, and then yellow weather warning the day after!

All the teams had a fantastic day of golf, complete with prizes, and were then treated to a beautiful 3-course meal prepared by Lee and his staff from North Shore Golf Club, followed by an evening of entertainment with hilarious comedian, Lea Roberts.

• The winning team was Lateo Risk – Well done gents!

Commiserations but a HUGE thank you to all the golfers for being great team players:

• Luke Robinson and the team from Vincents Solicitors
• Glenn Willis from InXpress Blackpool
• Tom Swire from Spotless UK
• Mark Gallagher from HMT Group
• Tom Mercer from Handelsbanken
• Barry Edwards from Edwards Builders
• David Hardy from Champion Accountants Blackpool
• Clarke Foulds from FM Electrical Solutions
• Simon Lee from Sunbelt Rentals
• Karen Woolton from Be Inspired Magazine
• Andy Havlin from Quantum Staffing Solutions
• Martin Shipway from PHH Solicitors
• Dennis Butterworth and friends

We would like to thank all the teams for taking part and raising the fantastic amount of £4,521 gross, £2,299 net, which will go towards respite activities for our carers, helping them to create magical memories.

Photo Gallery of the day

Funniest Video of the day

Keep your eye on the ball!

Disclaimer: The video below does contain a few ‘choice’ words, so please don’t watch it if you’re easily offended…however, it is hilarious, just see what happens!

Remember…94p in every £1 raised goes directly to our cause and helps to make a better life for carers.

If you would like to to enter a team for next year’s event please call Terry on 01253 393748 or email: terry.hodkinson@blackpoolcarers.org to reserve your place.

The post Our first ever Charity Golf Day…better than ‘You’ve been framed’ just take a look! appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

This where Blackpool Carers’ Caring Corporate Programme can help.

Becoming a Caring Corporate with Blackpool Carers will help you to identify carers, support them to access appropriate support at the right time and improve staff retention, recruitment and wellbeing.

Caring can have a lasting and powerful impact on so many aspects of life. It is both rewarding and demanding, and support from employers who work with Blackpool Carers means that carers can continue to be valued and committed employees whilst also continuing to care.

Continuing to work, is vital to many carers. It gives them a sense of routine and identity, increasing their self esteem and reducing isolation.

Many local business have become Caring Corporates and we are absolutely thrilled to announce that last year, they raised a staggering £60,000 plus, to help to make a better life for carers in our community. We would like to say thank you so much for all your support and we look forward to working with you again this year…you are all amazing!

Our Caring Corporates are:

• Beaverbrooks The Jewellers
• Bernie Atherton Carpets Ltd
• Blackpool Skip Hire
• Card Saver
• Chadwick Insurances
• Eric Wright Group
• FM Electrical
• Glasdon
• Greenlight Group
• Imperial Hotel
• InXpress
• Liberty’s Hotel
• Lowland Farm Alpacas
• Spire Fylde Coast Hospital

The photos below show some of our wonderful Caring Corporates with their generous donation cheques.

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CLICK HERE to download our Caring Corporate Information leaflet and find out more about working in partnership with Blackpool Carers and benefits for you and your employees.

The post We can now reveal the huge amount raised by our Caring Corporates appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

On the 20th of July 2022, 13 cyclists set off on the coach to Scarborough ready to take on this year’s Pier to Pier Fundraising Cycling Challenge, from Scarborough Pier to Blackpool North Pier in 3 days.

Take a look at the video of their adventures at the bottom of this post. 

Day 1

Thursday 21st July – The 1st leg of the Pier to Pier Challenge was a 66-mile cycle from Scarborough to Boroughbridge. We dipped the back wheels of our bikes into the sea on the North East Coast at Scarborough then set off. 9 miles in and we hit the first big hill, Staxton Hill which the locals know is a killer!

Yes, we might have had to get off and walk up this hill with our bikes as it was that tough, but we made it! Anyway, what goes up must come down, however it took a lot more miles of climbing up, until we had the benefit of the downhill ride!

We made it to lunch at the Village Hall in the beautiful village of Coneysthorpe at the 36-mile point where we refuelled and got ready for the next 30 miles. From Coneysthorpe we travelled through Sheriff Hutton and Alne via some beautiful scenery arriving at Boroughbridge in time for tea.  3271 ft climbed and day one completed.

Day 2

Friday 22nd July had us cycling from Boroughbridge to Ilkley, 69 miles again with some beautiful scenery.  We cycled back on ourselves a little to take in the sites of York which included York town centre, yes there were cobbles, not great for bikes but hey ho it’s a challenge!

We visited York Minster and Marston Moor Monument before lunch at Beckwithshaw Village Hall at 52 miles.  That was a long cycle, and we were certainly ready for our lunch.  One of the water stops that morning was in the beautiful town of Knaresborough probably one of the prettiest places on our journey!

After lunch we had the hardest hills of the day, and these were from Beckwithshaw to Otley until we arrived at The Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley our accommodation for the night. The last hill leading up to the hotel was a shocker to finish the day off and of course we had rain this afternoon which makes the cycling so much harder. We arrived wet and shattered but what a sense of achievement and only one day left to go!  2,935 ft climbed.

Day 3

Saturday 23rd July and 77 miles to go. The longest number of miles on the last day! Certainly, a challenge when we have been in the seat for approximately 8 hours (except the breaks) for the previous 2 days but we pushed on.

From Ilkley we cycled to Skipton and then on to Clitheroe and yes this is still a very hilly part of the country and then of course the heavens opened, and the rain came down hard.  The towns and villages we started to pass were getting familiar to the cyclists from their training days so although wet and soggy the excitement was growing as we were getting nearer to home. Today was also the highest climb with 3535 ft overall.

We stopped for lunch at Hurst Green Memorial Hall which was just outside a town called, Great Britain, yes there really is a village called that! Here we had to try and dry off and get ready for the last stretch towards home, 34 miles. From Hurst Green we had our heads down, due to the weather and pushed ourselves through Longridge, Broughton and on to Lytham and then down the prom.

The final stop of our Pier to Pier Challenge was at the Mirror Ball at South Shore Blackpool to dip our front wheel in the sea and thankfully the tide was in, so we didn’t have far to walk with the bikes.  The last few miles from the Mirror Ball had all the cyclists singing and laughing and the excitement was building as we knew our friends and family were all waiting at The Blackpool Tower. What a welcome we received with a huge crowd of people all clapping and cheering us on and the Blackpool Carers Flag was flying high, literally.

We got to pop champagne and celebrate with our nearest and dearest. Todate, our cyclists have raised a fantastic gross figure of over £20,000 with a net figure of just shy of £9,000 which will help to provide respite and support for our carers.

We would like to say thank you to each cyclist that took on the challenge and to all their friends and family who supported them whilst they were training and helped them to raise their fundraising target.

If you would like to take part in our next challenge, or wish to hold a fundraising event on our behalf, please contact Terry Hodkinson, Head of Business Development and Fundraising on 01253 393748 or email: terry.hodkinson@blackpoolcarers.org 

The post Our super cyclists have done it again, raising £20k by taking on our Pier to Pier challenge but it was no easy ride…just take a look! appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

In Paul’s own words…

Did you know ‘A Pennine Journey’ is an older trail than the Pennine Way by aprox 10 years? Well I had never heard of the Pennine Journey until I was looking at an Ordinance Survey Map of the Yorkshire 3 Peaks and I saw a mark on the map. It stirred my interest, I needed to know more.

This is what I found out. On the 24^th of September 1938, Alfred Wainwright set out on an expedition from Settle to hike to Hardian’s Wall, which had intrigued him for years, his plan was to hike East of the Pennines and return on the Western Flanks. The Total distance then was then 220 miles, His journey northward would involve him in ascents and descents into the successive valleys of, from the initial Ribblesdale, Littondale, Wharfedale, Wensleydale, Swaledale, the River Greta, Teesdale, Weardale, Rookhope Burn and the River Derwent. 

After his epic adventure he wrote a book on his experiences.

The more I found out about the route the more I was hooked, the new route was 247 miles and a Total elevation of 36,942 feet. A significant challenge in anybodies books, but I thought you know what I bet it can be completed in 7 days, this worked our atleast 35 miles a day and 5,277 feet of climbing. Now that’s a challenge!

So initially I planned the route to start in June, however with injury and work, I have knocked it back to September. This time I wanted a partner in crime, somebody with a bit more personality than a 2 stone Teddy Bear. There was only one person (daft enough) with a bit of hounding (okay a lot of hounding) to do it. Our very own Chris Edis (Operations Manager North East), What could possibly go wrong, he’s a fellow Geordie, he was born in the same area as me Chester-le-street and a legendary fell runner! To be fair to Chris he’s never gone long, so it could go horribly wrong but that’s all part of the fun right? (that’s what I keep telling him anyway).

THE ROUTE

For logistics we have moved the start and finish points to The Sill and each overnight will be in a Youth Hostel. So the route looks like this all being well:-

Starting on September the 5^th at around 8am

• 4th Sept overnight at The Sill
• 5th Sept- The Sill to Kirkland 38 miles – overnight at yha Dutton
• 6th- Kirkland to Hazelgill 32.3 miles – overnight at yha Hawes
• 7th – Hazelgill to Singleton 37 miles – overnight at yha Ingleton
• 8th Singleton to Yockenthwaite 30 miles- overnight at yha Kettlewell
• 9th – Yockenthwaite to Bowes 37 miles – overnight at YHA Grinton
• 10th – Bowes to Blanchland 37.7 miles overnight Yha Langdon Beck
• 11th – Blanchland to The Sill 30 miles.

We’ve decided to fundraise for YHA but specifically Young Carers at Carers Trust Tyne and Wear and Blackpool Carers, the money raised will fund a trip away to one of our amazing Youth Hostels with adventures for a week. I have met the team and the Young Carers, they are fantastic and deserve the respite for all their hardwork they do each day to support their families.

So if you want to dot watch or join us, please use this link, it should show the route and where we are every 10 minutes – https://share.garmin.com/APennineJourney

MAKE A DONATION

If you want to donate, please use this link –  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/foryoungcarers

As you can imagine the logistics involved in the planning and on the actual event is a challenge in itself. For example once we are finished each day, we still need to get to the Youth Hostels, so if you could spare the time and want to help, please speak to myself or Chris Edis.

I am sharing my training and will do regular posts during our challenge, so if you want to see the pain and suffering, you can follow on either Instagram or Facebook.

FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS

• Instagram –
• STRAVA – https://www.strava.com/athletes/1161718
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/520583955104390/

We would like to thank Paul and Chris for taking on this fantastic challenge in aid of Young Carers and can’t wait to hear all about their adventures…and of course, who they meet along the way.

The post Aha! Paul Howlett is at it again! We wonder which famous faces he’ll meet on his next fundraising adventure – A Pennine Journey! appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

Worshipful Master (WM), Jeff Lucas, along with members of the lodge, Allan Lock and Chris Tittley, joined John Topping (Trustee of Blackpool Carers Centre) and Jeff’s daughter Debbie and grandson Loukas for a tour of Beaverbrooks House. Terry explained the work of the carers centre and highlighted the considerable funds needed annually to support over 8,000 young and adult carers in Blackpool.

Debbie works for SR8 Medical which has delivered free first aid training to our young carers. One of the trainers, Paul Wharton-Hardman is the WM of Leyland St Andrew`s Lodge No. 7391.

Over the years, Terry has visited a number of Fylde Coast lodges together with young carers and those who are cared for, so that a better appreciation and awareness can be gained of the daily challenges faced by the young carers, some as young as five years of age.

We would like to say thank you to all members of The Dona Conferentes Lodge No 9392 for their kind donations and for taking the time to come and visit us, to see first-hand the difference their donations make to our carers.

Pictured from left to right, are: John Topping, Terry Hodkinson, Jeff Lucas, Chris Tittley, Debbie Strouthos (SR8 Medical) and Allan Lock.

CLICK HERE to read the full article on the West Lancashire Freemasons website.

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On Saturday 12th March, we were delighted to welcome 560 glitzy and glamorous guests to the iconic Empress Ball to dance the night away. 

We had lots to celebrate given the challenges of the past 2 years; our doors have remained open, more carers have been supported than ever and the work of the organisation continues to gather pace thanks to the dedication of people such as our esteemed award winners on the night…

Our award winners were;

Special Recognition – Daniel Pilkington
4 years of dedication to volunteering here at Blackpool Carers, giving his time, kindness and skills to helping our team in delivering support to carers and young carers.

Community Partnership – The Blackpool Sixth Form College
For their excellent support of young adult carers in college, helping them to thrive in their education and taking a flexible approach to helping them achieve in their education whilst balancing a caring role.

Community Fundraiser – Paul Howlett
For his fundraising adventures alongside his two stone teddy sidekick Everest!  Paul has raised funds for young carers over the past couple of years through bike riding, walking up mountains and taking on triathlons!

Thanks to all who attended, supported and sponsored the event and also to the Winter Gardens staff and the fabulous Deadbeats band for creating such a lovely atmosphere!

We’ll see you back on the dance floor in 2023!

If you’d like to reserve tickets for next year’s Ball to be held on Saturday 4th March 2023, please contact Terry Hodkinson on 01253 393748 or email: terry.hodkinson@blackpoolcarers.org

Our Award Winners

Glitz & Glamour Ball Photo Gallery

The post Guests at our Glitz & Glamour Ball raised a fantastic £20,000 to support Blackpool’s carers…thank you so much! appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

Read all about this special event – featured in the Blackpool Gazette on Tuesday 8th February 2022.

Her first Ball, held back in 2018 at the Clifton Arms Hotel in Lytham raised a fantastic £4,000 to support young carers, some as young as young as 5 years old.

For more information and to buy tickets, please contact Gill Booth on 07717 222456 or gillian157booth@aol.co.uk 

The post Local fundraiser, Gill, organises her second Cinderella Ball in aid of our young carers appeared first on Blackpool Carers.

Tickets only £10 available from Julie on 01253 393748.

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