by Val | Dec 10, 2011 | News
For ten families their Christmas started early with a magical trip to Disneyland Paris, thanks to the Children’s Heart Association. On a cold and wet Friday morning the families met at Liverpool’s John Lennon airport to be treated like royalty thanks to Val and the staff at the airport who had arranged a private lounge and priority boarding. The short flight to Paris was met with lots of excitement by the younger members of the party with one little boy shouting “Mickey Mouse come out come out wherever you are” as soon as the plane touched down on the tarmac.
Whisked away to the Sequoia Lodge Hotel with no time for unpacking, most families spent the remainder of the day exploring the Magic Kingdom, having tears on the way back to the hotel from children worried that it was the only time they would be getting in the park.
Day 2 got off to a terrific start with families meeting for a character breakfast at Café Mickey where a non-stop parade of characters came to the table for a meet and greet, much to the excitement of all the children. The highlight for many was the Saturday evening finale in the Magic Kingdom. Hundreds of people lined the parade route to watch the magic procession of coloured floats filled with favourite Disney characters, fulfilling all children’s dreams of being waved at personally by their favourite character.
As ever all good things have to come to an end. Day 3 saw tired and weary children and adults alike pile onto a coach back to the airport. Amidst the chatter about who saw what and searching though bags of toys to show each other what souvenirs they were taking home, one lucky boy got to go home with the memory that he saw Mickey Mouse on his birthday, a memory Tony Walsh will treasure forever.
by Val | Dec 5, 2011 | Val's blog
Hope you are all well.
I will start with our Euro Disney trip at the weekend. It was fantastic except for the cold and rain. We flew out Friday morning and it was good everyone showed up either early or right on time. We were met at the airport by an operations manager and were shown where to check in . After that we were shown to our room in the airport I had booked.
It was great for all of us to be together so we could meet each other and discuss a few plans for weekend. Security came to our room and went through security briefing and explained to the kids what to expect if the alarm when off during security scanning. We had photo’s taken and the staff loved seeing the kids. They made us very welcome and stayed with us right until we were on board, 1 manager even got on with us and made sure we were all happy. Did I mention the VIP boarding they gave us too? Kids were delighted with the fact that they and their family’s got to board before all other passengers and could choose their seats. The front of the aeroplane was filled with us.
When there we had breakfast together and evening meal on Sat together. We said hello to one another if we saw each other out and about and some of us met in the bar in the evening for a drink and chat and a catch up. (some of the families are a bad influence on me I was to be found in the bar each night and sometime till 12.45), but it was lovely.
Weather as expected was very wet and cold but we just had to wrap up and grin and bear it. Kids loved the characters and we had a character breakfast. They loved the rides as did I. The bonus on taking such a big group away was that if anyone was in the queue before me if I was on my own I would queue jump because after all I was with that family. Also I got to see a show from a good vantage point as a family with child in wheelchair shouted me when they saw me so I just went and sat by them and didn’t get moved, but there were spaced if anyone needed them in disabled spec or I would have moved,.
The feedback was great and I have asked family’s to share there experience with us and photo’s. Michele I have asked them to send direct to you by end of this week. can you set up a folder to keep them in and then I can see feedback in writing and pics. Then we will need to get pics on web and a newsletter done.
We finally got home around 12.30am as delays on plane due to thunder storms here in Liverpool and hailstones. So planes could not fly back to Liverpool for a while then we needed to get a crew as the others had no flying hours left. I think when we see the feedback we will all agree that the trip was well worth doing and families who had not met before met and bonded and shared there story’s and experiences. Our aim was to get family’s together, have a great time and bond. I definitely feel this was achieved and I know I have made some new friends this weekend.
Today should be the start of my official holidays from work however I have so much to do this week that if ok with everyone I will postpone till next week. Any objections please let me know.
Monday 5th December 2011
Today I had to go to storage and tidy up in there as last Thursday when we finished shop I just had to more or less throw stuff back in as I also had a branch meeting at Alder Hey I needed to do Thursday night. We made about £550 in shop. not bad considering it wasn’t a full week and last wed I had to drive there via Runcorn bridge as tunnels were closed so didn’t open till 10am and closed at 2.45 as didn’t want to get stuck in traffic. on wed if it had not been for my secondment shop would not have been open as my helpers don’t drive and no trains either so they would not have been able to get there. Today I also done pick up’s from 3 peoples houses.
Tomorrow I will have a day off. ( meeting I was going to in Birmingham has been cancelled till Feb).
Wednesday 7th December 2011
I have a meeting at Alder hey at Mchouse and a few charities meet at this meeting. Rep’s from Mchouse, Imagine appeal,Chics and wrvs meet. This is the first meeting this year I will be able to attend as usually I take a days holiday from work but with my nan needing so many hospital appointments this year I have been using my days holidays to take her so didn’t have enough left to go to the other meetings this year, as a direct result of my secondment I will be able to attend, after this I will stay at Mchouse and help around there for a few hours.
Thursday 8th December 2011
I need to do preparation work for our grotto on sat and I need to wrap presents from Santa and do a little bit of decorating. I also need to get prizes ready for our hook a duck and tombola stalls.
Friday 9th December 2011
I need to bake some cakes for sat and I need to go shopping for bingo prizes as prize bingo next Monday. I will still do that even though on hols as don’t want to let our supporters down
Saturday 10th December 2011
I have our Christmas grotto in Whiston. I can do this as a direct result of secondment as if I wasn’t on secondment I would be in work as my Saturday in.
Sunday 11th December 2011
I have our Christmas party in Alder hey.
—
So as you can see another busy week for me, not that I mind, I enjoy doing this.
I have had an email from Alder Hey and they are going to look at me being a buddy on K2 with Lorna – let you know when that starts, and what it entails.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 27, 2011 | Val's blog
Well next week is both a busy week and a very exciting week.
Monday 28th November 2011
We have charity shop. Thanks to everyone who has donated and keep any unwanted items comming. I will have the shop open Monday – Thursday. 9.30 – 4 (just 4 days, but on Thursday we need to close around 1pm so i can clear shop).
I will pick up volunteers in the mornings so will probably leave home around 8.40am and will drop them off to so probably home around 5pm ish.
Thursday 1st December 2011
I also have Liverpool branch meeting 7.30pm – 9.30pm (will be wrapping this up around 9.15 as early start on Fri).
Friday 2nd December 2011
We are off to Euro Disney with families of CHA. What a trip this will be.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 20, 2011 | Val's blog
Last Wednesday I was not able to do notice boards at Liverpool Alder Hey as Becky’s husband called me Tuesday night to say she was sick and Becky had the material and I don’t even live near her to pick up so we will arrange when she is better. Instead I met with Gill McBurney cardiac liaison nurse at Alder hey and discussed what they need and where our advertising will go.
Then I went to the storage unit and made up some Christmas goody bags, then took them back to Debbie in clinic to sell for us, so time was not wasted or lost. I used the time for this. More awareness for us and fundraising too.
Monday 21st November 2011
Working at Ronald Mcdonald house at Alder hey ( this is the family’s home from home whilst at hospital) 5 hrs
Wednesday 23rd November 2011
Youth forum meeting in Manchester children’s hospital in the evening. Anne I will see you there. during the day I would also like to do the notice boards and meet with Linda and Kim if possible. I will contact Kim tomorrow as didn’t get a chance at our Ball of Hearts last night. estimate time with travelling 5hrs? Carol when I speak to Kim tomorrow I will ask her about doing some kind of coffee session for familys or awareness and get back to you on best date and time we can do that suits.
Thursday 24th November 2011
Exec meeting at Alder hey 3hrs and during the day I would like to do some more pick ups for our shop stuff as had some text of people letting me know they have stuff to be collected. estimate 5hrs
Friday 25th November 2011
Day off
Saturday 26th November 2011
Children’s Heart Association family day out to Manchester Science museum and Christmas market. Setting up shop for next week.
—
I would point out that other than Exec meeting this week, shop pick up’s and day out none of the rest of the help and support I will be doing would have been possible had it not been for my secondment. As a direct result of my secondment you can see how much more I am able to achieve.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 13, 2011 | Val's blog
Monday 14 November 2011
Christmas Prize Bingo Food shopping, make sandwiches, etc., pick up people who don’t drive, then Prize Bingo 7.00 p.m. to around 9.30 p.m. then drop people off at home (around five hours).
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Day off
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Doing notice boards Ward K2, 01 Clinic and MacHouse (around 4 hours) Get books from storage for book sale (1 hour 30 mins)
Thursday 17 November 2011
Book sale Ormskirk Market 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. (8 hours) helps with fundraising and awareness of CHA in the community. Put excess books in storage (around 1 hour 20 mins) A direct result of secondment as normally I would be at work during this time and it would not be possible for me to get volunteers there as they don’t drive and I need to be at work.
Friday 18 November 2011
Drop prizes at Formby Hall ready for big day on Saturday.
Saturday 19 November 2011
The Ball – that’s a day and evening event to set up and host – but it’s well worth it.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 8, 2011 | Val's blog
Tuesday 8th November 2011
Just thought I would let you know I worked yesterday. Today I will have a look at the web to see about bus, etc. And jobs on my to do list.
Wednesday 9th November 2011
I have a meeting 10.00 a.m. in Whiston as we have been invited to do a Christmas grotto. This year this will be just for advertising ourselves and be seen in the community as so late in the day to advertise to get a good response so I think it will be just passing trade. I have another meeting with Jay at 12 noon who is working on a DVD for our ball and pictures I want to use to advertise us on the event.
Thursday 10th November 2011
Thursday is my day off.
Friday 11th November 2011
I will be dropping some stuff off at Alder Hey. Meeting at 1.30 p.m. in Southport regarding the Ball.
Saturday 12th November 2011
Saturday is the Executive Meeting.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 6, 2011 | Val's blog
My secondment started 1st November and I had been looking forward to this for a good few weeks.
On my very first day I had a meeting at Alder hey with Ian Atkinson manager of Cardiac, ICU, HDU, k2 and 01 clinic, Jamie Hester who is doing project work from Uni and Becky Cartwright, a member of CHA and also a parent governor at Alder Hey.
Our meeting was to meet and see how we could help each other. Ian is very keen to show us support and help us more to get promoted around the hospital and make sure families know where they can get help.
Ian has agreed we can have more space to bring alive our brand and be seen much more visibly. He has also committed to himself or a member of his team coming to our branch meetings at Ronald Mcdonald house at Alder Hey each month which is a big commitment and something we have never seen before which in itself is a huge success. This I believe would not have been possible if it was not for my secondment as I just would not have had the time to go to daytime meetings as I would normally be at work. Ian has also asked me to join the Northwest Congenital Heart Network to find out more about what can be done to support more families and to have a say about what we think will help others. Again this is something I would not have been able to do as meetings are at Manchester Children’s hospital during the day as a direct result of my secondment I am able to take this on and hopefully be able to help even more families.
After that meeting I went to see the cardiac liaison nurses in 01 clinic and agreed Becky and I will update the notice boards and see what they need from us and where we could put up more publicity.
On Wednesday I was doing pick up’s for our charity shop which is coming up this month, and also met with a mum who needed to have a chat, just for support as her son is 15 and she saw a documentary on TV about a child who had grown up with a heart condition and is now around 22 and needs a transplant and it upset her a bit. So I went round for a chat.
On Thursday I met with my sister Michelle (mum of Matthew), Michele Casey, Lisa Welsh and her mum, Carole, at our storage unit as we needed to get prizes sorted and wrapped for our Ball on November 19th. We received donations from companies and split them into Auction, raffle and tombola prizes. We then needed to list them too. Incredibly this took 6hrs as I had to get stuff out the unit into the corridor so we could pull stuff together. Michelle had to go after 2 and half hrs as the school phoned to go pick up Matt as he was not well. He has been sent home from school a number of times lately due to not being well. Because I could do this from 9.30am it also meant after I had finished I was able to go and see my other nephew Will play football after school which was lovely, his team won 5-4. It gives me more time to myself as in previous years when we have done this we have met at 7.30pm so you can imagine it’s very, very late when we left the storage unit for home and sometimes had to go to someone’s house another day and finish off.
On Friday, I took more stuff to the unit that people had donated for our shop and got my house in order as there was stuff in my house that I just hadn’t had the time to take, so my house is now looking much more like a house and not a storage place. It’s about 30 mins to drive to the storage place so I need an hour just for driving for a round trip excluding any time I spend there. I also looked at some bigger units as I plan to do more fundraising e.g. charity shops and book sales and need more space to hold more stuff as I hope people will be even more generous and donate even more stuff to make this possible. I also booked 5 charity shop weeks for 2012
Saturday morning we had a ‘Taking CHA Forward’ meeting. The meeting was over breakfast and a big success 17 people attended which was a good turn out. It’s one thing discussing what we can do, it’s another committing time to do the things you say you will do when you work. Now I have a “to do” list and next week I will start following those actions we spoke about. The meeting was 10am till 2 so a lot has come out of it and it gave people chance to meet others who they may not have met before.
Tonight I have had my brother Billy over to show me how to attach pictures to emails something I am learning about and never done before. Impressed myself if this works.
So as you can see I fitted a lot in my first week alone and look forward to the challenges ahead and helping others.
If you haven’t tried being a volunteer before for a local charity I can highly recommend it. It give you a great sense of giving something back and being able to help other less fortunate than ourselves. So why not think – can I donate even 3 hrs a week to your local chosen charity. There are so many charities out there that could benefit from your help, The people you meet are usually great as they want to be there – thats why they have chosen to do voluntary work so it’s not a chore its a choice so you find people are usually much happier in their work
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
by Val | Nov 1, 2011 | Val's blog
Hello,
My name is Val Frew and I work for More Than in Liverpool, part of the RSA Group.
In summer 2011 a charitable secondment was announced and Vera Reynolds in my office came straight over to see me to make sure I was made aware of this as Vera thought it sounded the perfect opportunity for me to do more work with the charity I am Chairwoman for – The Children’s Heart Association, Alder Hey branch.
As soon as I read the details, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do.
The secondment was offered by RSA to all employees worldwide to work with a local charity for up to 3 months. I put in my application and chose to work with the Children’s Heart Association if I was successful with my application.
I have done voluntary work with CHA for around 10yrs and CHA is a big part of my life. I got involved because my nephew, Matthew, who is now 12 was born with a major heart condition called hyper plastic left heart. I wanted to be able to help others who go through what we have been through and make a difference for other families. I was asked to take on role a volunteer chair for Alder Hey branch and at first I agreed to it for 6 months, Ten years later I am still chair of Alder hey and now Vice Chair on National Executive Committee too.
We are a support group for families of children who have a heart condition, or have had a heart condition. We have no paid workers – everything is done on a voluntary basis.
We have branch meetings and we arrange trips and fundraising events.
I was successful with my secondment and was granted the full 3 months off work with pay to do more.
To say I was delighted would be an understatement. I really do appreciate being given this opportunity and I know I will be able to do more to help others. I have a real passion to help children and their families.
Val Frew
A very proud volunteer of CHA
I plan to keep a record of all my activities during my secondment and they are recorded pages to follow….
by Matthew | Aug 4, 2011 | News
Latest version of our newsletter, the Ticker Times, is now available. Download from our website.
by Matthew | Jul 10, 2011 | UK resources
Providing support and at home care to families with babies and children under the age of 5 diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects and / or feeding difficulties. Supported by Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust – Cardiac and Gastroenterology Departments.
www.lagans.org.uk
