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Corbridge Charity Open Gardens raises £3000!

The Corbridge Charity Open Gardens was a resounding success this weekend! Thanks to the glorious weather, we welcomed around 400 fantastic visitors who helped us raise a staggering £3000 between ourselves and the Corbridge Community Partnership!
A massive thank you goes out to all the incredible Corbridge gardeners who opened their stunning plots. Your gardens looked absolutely phenomenal – the hard work you put in truly shone through ✨

“It was an incredible afternoon,” said Sally Urwin, our Marketing and Fundraising Manager. “I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to all the gardeners who worked so hard to get their gardens ready for the day, everyone who helped set up, serve refreshments, manage the ticket desk, clean up, and organize the event. It surpassed all our expectations, and we’re thrilled to have raised so much for ourselves and the Corbridge Community Partnership. We’ll definitely be back for 2025.”

#CorbridgeOpenGardens #Charity #Community #ThankYou #BloomingSuccess

 

Midsummer Evening Bottle Tombola

A massive shoutout to our incredible supporters Helen Coombes and Marina Elliott who ran a bottle tombola at last week’s Midsummer Evening in Corbridge! Thanks to their efforts, they raised over £300 for our lovely residents.
Congratulations also to the Visit Corbridge team that organised the Midsummer’s Evening – it had everything – our amazing shops, wonderful stall holders, delicious food, talented performers and helpful stewards 😊
Berenice Groves, our Chair of the Trustees said “thank you so much to Helen and Marina – they worked so hard to make sure all the bottles were ready for the tombola, and it was so busy they completely sold out! The evening was a wonderful community event and so many people came along to enjoy the wonderful shops and atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who came along and all those who worked so hard behind the scenes.”

Young Swimmer Makes a Splash for Charity!

Nine-year-old Freya has shown incredible determination, conquering a mile-long swimathon and raising over £600 for Charlotte Straker House! Freya Jameson, the granddaughter of our domestic assistant Kim Clarke, took on an amazing challenge and swam a whopping 64 lengths of Elswick Pool to fundraise to support our wonderful residents. After her swim she popped along to see her grandma at our Summer Fete and bumped into our VIP guest Brenda Blethyn!

Her mum Joanne Jameson said “I’m so chuffed that Freya not only finished her swimathon but also got to meet Vera! Brenda was so kind, and Freya told her all about her challenge. Freya is a very strong swimmer and she’s always been so ambitious and keen to swim. I’m very proud of her wanting to do this challenge as this is her way of giving back to those who might need a little extra care.”

Freya’s grandma Kim added “after such a long swim, she didn’t seem tired at all and spent another hour playing in the water! I am so proud of her for raising all this money for Charlotte Straker House and everyone in and outside work has been so generous.”

“We are absolutely blown away by Freya’s achievement,” said Berenice Groves, Chair of the Trustees “She has shown incredible dedication, conquering a mile long swimathon – it’s such an incredible distance for someone her age! Her dedication, kindness, and incredible swimming skills are an inspiration to us all. The £600 she raised will make a significant difference to the lives of the residents we support.”

You can donate securely on her fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/joanne-jameson-1712926194014

Our Summer Fete with VIP Brenda Blethyn raises over £4,000!

The annual Summer Fete at Charlotte Straker House was a resounding success, raising over £4,000 for our vital Community Respite Care Bed! The sunny afternoon was made even more special by a guest appearance from Brenda Blethyn, the renowned actress who portrays DCI Vera Stanhope in the hit ITV series “Vera.”

DCI Vera Opens the Festivities

Brenda Blethyn’s visit wasn’t just a fleeting stop. After officially opening the event with a trusty police whistle, she generously spent over an hour mingling with residents and charity stall holders, plus all the hundreds of Vera fans who made the journey to the fete to see her.

Berenice Groves, Chair of the Trustees at Charlotte Straker House, commented, “ The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Brenda and her production team generously donated her time, mingling with our residents, sharing stories, and signing autographs for her fans. Our residents were particularly thrilled to meet Brenda, especially as she took the time to chat and made sure that everyone got a great photograph. Through the success of stalls, the tea tent, and generous donations, the Summer Fete raised a remarkable amount – over £4,000! This vital sum will directly support our much-needed Community Respite Care Bed. We’re incredibly grateful to Brenda and her team, along with everyone who donated, volunteered, or simply came along to support our cause. Their generosity will make a real difference to the lives of carers in the community.”

Brenda’s Gratitude and a Superfan’s Journey

Brenda told the crowd: “We are delighted to be invited here today, with several members of the Vera team. There’s our executive producer Will, we have our cinematographer Simon, our costume designer Claire and our director Paul. And, last but not least, the person who gets us all to the set on time, our driver Gary.”

Brenda thanked those in the Tyne Valley for their “enthusiasm” and cooperation when they film Vera in the area. She said: “Working on Vera is really, really hard work so it’s so nice to suddenly get a jolly. All the opportunities you give us to come and film here with that juggernaut that is Vera, all the trucks coming along blocking up the street and all sorts, we thank you very, very much for the wonderful cooperation that you give our team.”

Brenda then brought out an old police whistle and said “I’ve brought along with me a police whistle and I’ve been dying to blow it! I will move it away from the microphone so it doesn’t burst somebody’s ears! So, at the toot of this whistle, the fete is open.”

After the event Brenda took to social media platform X to tell her many followers about her day, writing: “We enjoyed the fete at Charlotte Straker house. the residents and guests were so welcoming. What a great day. Thank you.”

Christine Bennett, a “superfan” all the way from Australia, made the special trip to meet Brenda at the Summer Fete. She said “What a wonderful afternoon we had. Just a sprinkling of rain which didn’t deter the public.  Thank you so much for arranging Brenda to chat with me. I can genuinely say I have never met such a lovely, darling lady. Brenda is such a joy and we had a couple of good laughs together. Such a memorable experience for me.”

Celebrating Community Spirit

Berenice added “Brenda Blethyn’s visit added a touch of celebrity magic to an event with a true sense of community spirit. Her presence brought so many visitors and the collective effort and generosity of local businesses, volunteers, and attendees made the event a huge success and created a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Brenda Blethyn for her kindness, to the incredible volunteers and community organizations who participated, the local businesses who generously donated raffle prizes, cakes, and essential supplies and to everyone who attended and supported the event. You’ve all helped make a positive difference in the lives of our residents and our community.”