Charity: Winners chosen for law firm’s charity calendar competition; Region’s first ladies-only charity cycling sportive celebrates success; and more

JUDGING has now taken place for the Walker Morris 22nd annual Children’s Charity Calendar Competition and the winners and runners-up will be announced in September.

The judges included internationally renowned artist Ashley Jackson, Dean Poole from West Yorkshire Printing and David Smedley, partner at Walker Morris.

The competition is open to all primary school aged children throughout the Yorkshire, Humber and North East Lincolnshire regions. The children were asked to paint pictures that depicted their favourite month of the year. From the artwork submitted, the judges chose 13 winners including the front cover position and 28 runners-up.

The Children’s artwork will be used to produce a calendar that is sold to help raise funds for Yorkshire’s Martin House Children’s Hospice.

Mr Smedley said: “Now in its 22nd year, the Children’s Charity Calendar Competition goes from strength to strength. I would like to thank Ashley and Dean for all their help and advice. It never fails to amaze me just how creative and inspiring the paintings are. This explains the longevity of the competition and also serves as a reminder of how important it is to foster and nurture the talents of our future generation. Whether they are aspiring lawyers or artists, we recognise that our future success depends upon developing and engaging our future workforce.”

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Yorkshire Lass Cycling ClubTHE Yorkshire Lass Cycling Club (YLCC) celebrated its first charity sportive with more than 300 riders joining organisers Kate Horsfall of Wetherby, Judith Worrall of Thirsk and Ali Tiffin of Leeds in an event which will have raised in the region of £11,000 for women’s cancer charities.

The sportive was supported by Carlton Lodge Activity Centre in Thirsk and All Terrain Cycles of Wetherby, as well as other companies who contributed to this event, and more than 50 volunteers, many from YLCC and their friends and family, who marshalled and helped out at the sportive.  The event raised funds for Women v Cancer which comprises Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Action.  

Female cyclists from as far a afield as Ireland and Falkirk travelled to Carlton Lodge Activity Centre, Thirsk to take part in one of the three rides with options of a 30 mile ‘Cuppa tea and a piece a cake’ ride; a 60 mile ‘Reet Gud Ride’; and a 103 mile ‘By Eck Tha War Ard Ride’ route.

“The sportive was everything that we wanted it to be, attracting riders of mixed abilities, but all with a common love of cycling,” said organisers Kate Horsfall and Judith Worrall.

“We’d like to thank everyone who helped to make it such a special day including our riders, volunteers and our many sponsors.  A big thank you to Carlton Lodge Activity Centre and their staff for hosting the event, it really was the perfect venue and to All Terrain Cycles for their ongoing support, from helping us to set up the club 18 months ago to providing equipment and mechanical help on the day and, it wouldn’t have been possible without them both.”

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Garbutt and Elliott charity partnersACCOUNTANCY firm Garbutt + Elliott is celebrating after 20 of its employees raised over £1,500 for its chosen charities, The Haven and the Special Stars Foundation, at two of this year’s Asda Foundation 10K races.

The Leeds and York races were launched by the late Jane Tomlinson and regularly attract thousands of runners and spectators. Also taking place in the York 10k, with two being guided by runners from Garbutt + Elliott, were four blind runners from Partially Sighted Society.

Nigel Shaw, partner and head of corporate social responsibility at Garbutt + Elliott, said: “In total we raised over £1,500 from both races. We had two fantastic days and there was a great sense of achievement by everyone who took part when they crossed the final finish line.

“The Haven is a very special charity and it’s great to know that the money we have raised will go to help improve the lives of those affected by breast cancer. Likewise the Special Stars Foundation undertakes vital work to support children and young people with disabilities and their families in Hull and East Yorkshire.”

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A SHEFFIELD scales manufacturer has donated a large veterinary weighing scale to a charity providing dogs to ex-servicemen suffering from the effects of mental health.

South Yorkshire based Marsden gave the V-250 Veterinary Scale to Veterans With Dogs, a UK registered charity who provide dogs to British veterans with ‘invisible injuries.’

The V-250 is a scale used by veterinary surgeries in the UK and worldwide for administering treatment and ensuring dogs are a healthy weight.

Julie Morrish, of Veterans With Dogs, said: “The scale will make a big difference to us for being able to fully assess our dogs for their weight and monitor our growing puppies.

“The scale will be used on an ongoing weekly basis as part of our health checks to monitor each dog placed with veterans.”

Marsden managing director, Richard Black, added: “The Marsden V-250 is the ideal weighing scale for large dogs, with its 250kg capacity. Plus it’s simple to use and has high accuracy.

“We recently donated 12 of our scales to Battersea Dogs Home, and are pleased to be offering our support to another great cause. We’re delighted to see the scale is proving a success with the charity, the owners – and the dogs.”

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STAFF at Bradford-based laundry chemical manufacturer Christeyns took a day out recently to help rejuvenate the Big Swing Adventure Playground in Eccleshill.

Christeyns, which has its head office in Rutland Street, offers all its 130 members of staff the opportunity to take paid leave in order to help out a local charity or good cause through its volunteering initiative.

Nine members of staff, including managing director Nick Garthwaite, spent a day carrying out an extensive range of tasks including painting, gardening, treating timber structures and repairing walls and paths.  

The Big Swing Adventure Playground, also known as Eccleshill Adventure Playground, is an open-access playground for children and young people aged five to 16.  It is the only adventure playground in the Bradford and Leeds area and children have the opportunity to take part in more traditional adventure type play, structured around the elements of earth, wind, water and fire.  Activities include den and structure building, team games, cooking campfire style and trying out the zip wire.

The Big Swing is a registered charity and provides free evening and weekend play sessions as well as family sessions on Saturdays.

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