Seaford to Brighton half marathon completed!
Thanks for all your donations for the @wolofoundation charity we have raised over £400! You still have a chance to donate!
Now in need of a sit down and a bottle of prosecco @ Brighton Palace Pier
Huge thank you to all of the Wolo runners so far
Lots of soggy trainers and windswept pics coming in so grateful to you all - current cumulative distance is over 30 miles! Yay! Go guys go! Lots more runners left to run like the wind today - loving the Seaford Striders #virtualrelay #wolo
....and they’re off!
Great first 30 minute run by @garylee. 3.5miles and counting! Run Wolo Run!
Why I wanted to help Wolo Foundation
We are SO honoured to have a character in a book named after us! Wolo whale features in the fantastic children’s book ‘Messages from the Sea’ by CreativeFlorence. Design, Illustration & Scribbles Here’s a bit about the author Flo, and why she chose to support @thewolofoundation
Hello, I am Flo from Creative Florence an Illustrator and Graphic Designer who lives in Brighton, East Sussex.
Why I wanted to help Wolo Foundation
I turned 50 last year. There's always a reason to celebrate that. My Mum died at 40 from Breast Cancer when I was 15. So, for me to surpass her age, remain healthy and untouched by Cancer.
I feel very grateful. Mentally of course, I am scarred for life, having lost my Mum so young. I have also lost others very close to me from Cancer, like so many other people.
My mum, always had time for others and up to the point when she was really unwell, she would be helping someone, even between operations she was determined to carry on.
The kettle was always on or she was dropping off someones shopping. Always doing something for someone. She didn't talk about her illness with me at all. That was really hard for me to understand,
but looking back and this was 45 years ago. Her determination to carry on and help people was a lesson she was trying to share with me.
I found about the Wolo Foundation through a friend and also on social media. I read Fler's story and I was in awe of her and Justin’s courage and support. How they help families touched by Cancer is inspiring.
I was illustrating my latest children's picture book "Messages from the Sea". Which is all about Sea pollution. The whale character, was one of the first illustrations I did and it needed a name.
The characters in this book are inspired by people I know for their personalities and skills. The turtle character is in memory of friend who died of Cancer a few years ago. She supported and encouraged me in my illustration journey. Wolo seemed like the prefect name for the whale. At the very end of the story Wolo lifts turtle above the waves. This how I see Wolo. Lifting people in their dark days, supporting them though the tough times.
So donating to this charity just felt right. I know my Sisters and I would have so appreciated people like Fler and Justin supporting us all those years ago.
Thank you Wolo foundation for all that you do for people.
You can purchase the book here on our site
https://wolofoundation.org/new-products/messages-from-the-sea-featuring-wolo-the-whale
Flo.
Folio of her amazing work: www.creativeflorence.co.uk
Follow her on instagram - @flowoolgar
Brighton Asda manager's 106-mile goodbye to Sussex stores
Great article in The Argus today showcasing @darrenevans’ epic fundraiser at the end of the month to mark his early retirement from Asda Asda. He’s raising money for @thewolofoundation, and helping to create awareness of Sport in Mind and what3words. Such a ⭐️
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18578300.brighton-asda-managers-106-mile-goodbye-sussex-stores/?fbclid=IwAR3NFasoVQ5_Zr-WSyqy7ts_oz0AXGI2qjUrDwG9Nfn69C0d25PTDSZV8Rc
Reaching out to Wolo
Lovely deliveries to the families we are supporting today. Two new families since last week - we’re so pleased people are reaching out to us 🥰 It feels fantastic to be supporting them along with local businesses too. Thank you to everyone that contributes 💛 @themermaid100 The Man Coach Smorl's Houmous Falafel & Salad Bar @coburnandbaker Mamoosh HappySelf Journal The Happy Newspaper Dobble – Spot it! The Macs Farm Hand Spun Botanics and Inle Home I’m loving our new doormat! Thank you! #community #wolo #wolofoundation #shoplocal
Rotary Virtual Challenge
We’re so proud to be one of the lucky charities selected for the ‘Run for Rotary Virtual Challenge’ thats taking place throughout July.
There is a choice of five distances -
* Marathon
* Half Marathon
* 10K
* 5K
* 1K
These must be run in a single attempt but as it’s a virtual challenge, the course can be at the runner’s discretion. Anything from a glorious run across the Downs to several circuits of your back garden will count, provided the appropriate distance is covered in one attempt.
The Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K are for adults only, the 5K and 1K for all ages, although we recommend supervision for the younger runners.
The entry fee for the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon is £10, the 1K is £5.
Upon registration, each entrant will be given an option to have their own donation page created, to accept additional sponsorship from friends and family.
On completion of the run the participant will receive a unique commemorative medal.
You have a choice for your donation for this event to be assigned to any one of three charities or split 3 ways, WOLO (We Only Live Once), BHF (British Heart Foundation) and our local Rotary charities.
See further details below.
Please remember to take photos and post them on social media with the hashtag #wolo #weonlyliveonce
Please share this post and get your friends involved.
You can also get your Wolo tees here
https://wolofoundation.org/new-products
Sign up here
https://race-nation.co.uk/…/seaford-martello-ro…/virtual-run
#cancer #seaford #what3words #weonlyliveonce #wolo Rotary Seaford
Sneak peak
Sneak peak. Coming soon! @flowoolgar This page in my book has very emotional words. When you hear the story...coming soon😘 I called the whale Wolo. (With permission) After the @wolofoundation who are doing tremendous work raising money to support family’s with cancer in East Sussex. For each book sold in my first edition print run and hopefully the next one and the next. I will be donating a percentage to Wolo. The book is about sea pollution and how the sea life respond and work together to make their environment better. I would love this book to find its way into people’s book shelves. It’s self published. My words. My illustrations and design and my own money to fund the print. So a huge effort of determination and tears and time. But how lovely to give something to help people via a fabulous charity. Fingers crossed I can! and will. Xx
Making a difference during Covid-19
Really humbled to have been contacted by Sonia Hallam Photography and asked to be featured in her photography project for people making a difference during Covid-19 🥰
Highly recommend her family photography skills - these are the best photos we have of us as a family. Thank you so much 😊 www.wolofoundation.org
Wolo gets the vote from the Mayor of Seaford
So pleased Mayor of Seaford is supporting us alongside other local charities this year. Seaford is the birthplace of Wolo and will always have a special place in our hearts so it feels an honour to be recognised by our Mayor and local community 💛
If you would like to help or are able to offer a service to families affected by cancer (we operate across the whole of Sussex), or if you have been affected by cancer, please get in touch www.wolofoundation.org
Darren who's taking part in a gruelling 106-mile fundraising ride and run
Darren Evans is doing an amazing challenge to mark his retirement - a 97 mile journey (running and on his bike) in a day between the Asda stores he has worked at over the years - in aid of WOLO Foundation and to raise awareness of Sport in Mind and what3words. Please support him if you can. Life is precious, we only live once! Wolo! 💛
£500 last week!
Wolo Foundation would like to say a HUGE thank you to @eastbourneroundtable, who surprised us with a very generous donation of £500 last week!
During Covid-19 Wolo have adapted their services inline with government restrictions, and have been working with local businesses to deliver isolation packages containing essential food items, fresh food, toys and activity packs to help keep children amused during the shielding/isolation process.
It is a much needed boost in funds - as all of our fundraising events have been postponed amid Covid-19 and since lockdown, we have been approached by more families than ever before for help and support.
Wolo Foundation help families living in Sussex through their cancer journeys. We support them by offering practical help and support to make their day-to-day lives easier. We work with local businesses and communities to offer families a wealth of services to support them through their diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Please get in touch if you can help.
Statistics show that 1 in 2 people in the UK born after 1960 will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Life is precious - we need to make the most of it - we only live once - WOLO! #eastbourneroundtable #eastbourne #polegate #hailsham #charity #wolo #wolofoundation #localnews #localnewspaper #localnewsmatters #seaford
National Blood Cancer day
It’s National Blood Cancer day ❣️ Here’s the very lovely @margotclarke donating bone marrow - 8 years since it was matched and helped someone! Please, please register - you WILL help to save someone’s life!
Not quite the same, but I have a rare blood condition and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the kind people that donate (and neither would my children), so THANK YOU! It’s never too late to sign up 💛
Supporting more families this week
We delivered some more essentials to some of the families we are supporting on Monday, along with lots of craft activities to help keep their little people entertained throughout the lockdown. We are delighted to be helping even more families now - we’ve also had a few surprise donations on our new JustGiving page - THANK YOU all for your continued support #cancer #covid19 #shielding #isolation #wolo #wolofoundation #weonlyliveonce
How my life events inspired the launch of ‘Wolo Shoebox’
Hubby and I are so proud to have finally created a document that has been a LONG time in the making. Somewhere to record all of the ‘information’ I wish i’d had to hand numerous times throughout my life. My mum died years ago, and so when my Dad was taken ill unexpectedly, it was up to my sister and I to sort everything. It was a complete shock when it happened, I was pregnant with our third child and the thought of having to deal with his personal effects, properties and financial affairs was completely overwhelming. It was hard to know where to start. It took months and months of liaising with a wealth of different people and companies to collate the information we needed, and even then there were huge gaps. We feel like we got there in the end, but even now, we don’t know if there are things that we ‘missed’.
Fast forward six years and I was diagnosed with breast cancer completely out of the blue. I ran the house, looked after the children, worked part time and dealt with most things myself whilst my husband Justin, worked hard to provide for us. Suddenly I was attending endless hospital visits, having treatment and was not able to function as I did before. Justin had to take over everything. To say it was a HUGE learning curve for us would be an understatement. He had no idea where most things were, how to log into our online accounts, who best to contact to have the children at short notice, which vets we used - nothing! It may sound trivial but really, it was tough. Imagine dealing with all of that, plus caring for three children, looking after a poorly wife, running the house, endless hospital appointments, oh, and working. Honestly, he deserves a medal for those times!!
I’ve now finished my active treatment and am back to work. Things are almost as they were (although in the meantime we’ve obviously started Wolo Foundation to help other families affected by cancer). Fast forward to now, i’m not working due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Justin has been furloughed. We decided to use the time to work on a document to record all of the things we wished we’d had written down before…and now…its ready! We believe it’s comprehensive enough to suit the circumstances of most individuals and families. The best bit is that we are able to offer it to everyone and raise money for Wolo Foundation at the same time. 100% of the proceeds go directly towards the running costs of the charity. We hope the document will help put many minds at rest, and will enable many more of you to live your lives to the full and help savour every moment. We only live once - WOLO! Click here to read more or to purchase your own Wolo Shoebox.
Wolo Unite
Today is a global day of giving and unity. In these uncertain times charities need you more than ever. That's why today - Tuesday 5th May JustGiving are coming together with #GivingTuesdayNow to create a global day of giving and unity. It's your chance to show your support for charities, social good causes, key workers and help local communities. Give what you can, every act of generosity counts. Perfectly timed, Wolo’s ‘unite’ candle is now back in stock with a slightly new look (the jars are slightly shorter and wider but the same volume as before). ‘Unite the powers of the mind, body and spirit - an invigorating fresh scent with zesty orange, mandarin and ripe green bergamot, infused with herbaceous lavender and chamomile accords. Made with 100% natural essential oils, in collaboration with Billy Beach Hutt. You can purchase one here: https://wolofoundation.org/new-products/wolo-unit-candle
At a time when we are all experiencing the pandemic, generosity is what brings people of all races, faiths, and political views together across the globe. Generosity gives everyone power to make a positive change in the lives of others and is a fundamental value anyone can act on. It is a day for everyone around the world to stand together and give back in all ways, no matter who or where we are. You can read more about it and donate to Wolo Foundation here: https://givingtuesdaynow.justgiving.com/ #givingtuesdaynow #wolo #wolofoundation #cancer
WOLO NEWS
What have Wolo been up to over the last few months?
The money that many of you have so kindly helped raise to date, is helping lots of local families affected by cancer.
During Covid-19 we have adapted our services inline with government restrictions, and have been working with local businesses to deliver isolation packages containing essential food items, fresh food, toys and activity packs to help keep children amused during the shielding/isolation process.
We were delighted with the response from the local community when we asked for donations - we are still receiving items which are perfect, and will really help to keep the children occupied. Whilst some of the weekly services we pay for have had to stop due to social distancing rules, I’m pleased to say that the therapy sessions we fund are now happening remotely so they are able to continue as normal - which has been a god send to many of the families we support.
The pandemic has also seen a sharp increase in the number of families we are supporting - an increase of 33% which is fantastic, as it means the word is getting out there about what we do, and they are no longer going without support - we can now be there to help them through their cancer journeys.
Sadly, a couple of days ago we lost a very special lady that we have been supporting. We will continue to do all we can to help her husband and two young children, during this incredibly sad time. Wolo pledge to support families through their cancer journeys and beyond, so we will continue to help them for the foreseeable future.
New JustGiving page
Being able to receive Gift Aid donations means we have now finally been able to set up our very own landing page on JustGiving! Its all feeling very professional now! Yay!
So from this point onwards, any online fundraising pages will need to be set up via the attached link please. Any existing fundraising pages can continue as they are (especially if the event has been postponed - we are still waiting to hear any new updates regarding the skydive!), but we will be deleting our own main fundraising page from crowdfunding in order to start the new one. Annoyingly we are unable to transfer the total across so we will be starting from scratch again, but hey ho! It’s worth it! We are also now able to accept monthly donations, so if you can spare a small amount each month, we’d be very grateful. https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Wolofoundation
Gift Aid
Great news, we have now been approved for Gift Aid! This means that we are now able to claim 25% more for every donation received if donated by an eligible tax-payer. This is HUGE!
Facebook Fundraisers
You may have seen that we are now able to accept Facebook donations. These are also able to have GiftAid added to them. These are most often used to fundraise for a charity on an occasion such as a birthday - it’s all done through Facebook itself so there’s no third party site involved. We only received approval for this 2 weeks ago, and it has already raised £1500 for us - which is absolutely amazing - and shows what an effective fundraising tool it is! If you have a special event coming up, please consider choosing a Facebook fundraiser for us, it could make a real difference.
Fundraising Regulator
We are delighted to have joined the Fundraising Regulator which reflects our commitment to good fundraising practice. It ensures our compliance with the law, gives donors peace of mind and gives us access to fundraising support. It also ensures we adhere to the Code of Fundraising Practice - a set of strict guidelines on best fundraising practice. You will see their logo on our website and any relevant fundraising material from now on.
Grants
We have recently received a £500 grant from Sussex Police thanks to Lizzie Pullen and the netball tournament she had been busy organising for May.
Unfortunately like many events, this will now be postponed - we will keep you updated with the new date as and when its arranged. Thank you Lizzie for helping us to get that - it will be put to great use.
We have applied for a grant from the Sussex Community Foundation Sussex Crisis Fund to help cover the cost of the Isolation hampers we are organising for the families we are supporting. We have had to carefully budget due to the current situation and currently, we have committed to deliver these fortnightly, but if the application is successful (we will find out in 3 weeks) then we will be able to increase the frequency to weekly, which will be a great help. Fingers crossed - we will keep you posted!
Online Shopping
EasyFundraising & Amazon Smile
You may have seen that we have signed up to a couple of online fundraising sites - Amazon Smile & Easy Fundraising. Did you know that you can fundraise for us at no extra cost to yourselves when shopping online through portals like these? You can help us by supporting us when you shop online.
Easy Fundraising
If you shop online, you can raise FREE donations for Wolo Foundation using Easy Fundraising. Over 4,000 online retailers including John Lewis, Argos, Uswitch, eBay and M&S are ready to give us a free donation every time you shop online. Plus, once you’ve signed up and raised £5 in donations, #easyfundraising will give us an extra £5 bonus donation! You can shop for the garden, a new electrical appliance, some new exercise gear or a new outfit as well as purchase insurances, switch utilities, or order a takeaway - anything!
Please sign up using the attached link to support us (it’s FREE and only takes a couple of minutes!): https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk
Once you’ve signed up, you can also download the App on your phone for access at the touch of a button. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/easyfundraising-app/
Amazon Smile
Next up, lets get a show of hands for who shops on Amazon?! If you’re anything like us, you will be on first name terms with the couriers!
If you use the link below and select Wolo Foundation as your cause, every time you shop with them via Amazon Smile, a proportion of the sale will convert into a donation to us! #AmazonSmile https://smile.amazon.co.uk/
Fundraising events
Many of our fundraising events are having to be postponed due to the current pandemic. However, we have a few virtual events going on at the moment -
Steph’s son, Lewis Woodward (Year 7) is a star, and has set up a virtual 5k for all ages - for £2.50 you can Run, walk, cycle, scoot, skip or even skate 5K (following Government guidelines on exercise), email a screenshot of your activity (you can use Garmin, Fitbit, Strava, Map My Run/Ride etc to log it) and you’ll get a medal! For more info please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lewis-woodwardwolo5k
The 2.6 challenge started on Sunday and lasts for a week. It’s a national incentive to help the Charity sector during Covid-19. The London Marathon was supposed to be last Sunday and is 26 miles, so they used these numbers to create the 2.6 challenge. You could run up and down the stairs 26 times, skip for 26 minutes non-stop, challenge yourself to eat 26 items within a set amount of times, do 26 star jumps, put 26 layers of clothing on, hula hoop for 26 minutes or ‘hide’ 26 times for hide and seek (thanks to Casper for that idea!)! See event link for more details! https://facebook.com/events/s/wolo-foundation
We will keep you updated with any new events as they are organised.
Trustees, corporate sponsors & ambassadors
We are on the look out for new trustees, corporate sponsors and ambassadors - if you are interested in becoming more involved with Wolo, please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
Finally...
As time moves on, we are finding ways of adapting the charity to the current situation, so we are continually evolving - its a steep learning curve for us all! If you have any suggestions, please do let us know!
Thank you all so much for your continued support. It means so much to us and makes a huge difference to the families we are supporting.
Much love
Justin & Fler xx
2.6 challenge - First MARATHON!!!!!
Soooo hubby has decided, seeing as he’s out running, to do his first MARATHON!!!!! 😱 26 miles 😱 Completely impromptu, completely random (living up to his ‘Mr Random’ nickname quite well!) if anyone fancies sponsoring him as part of the 2.6 challenge (he’ll be running 2️⃣6️⃣ miles -the furthest he’s ever done is 13 miles!) any donation would be gratefully received! We will split the money between Wolo and the NHS #twopointsixchallenge #crazy #wolo #wolofoundation #runforestrun #collaboration #nhs
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfu…/wolotwopointsixchallenge
Team Wolo on the Frontline
Fantastic day yesterday delivering lots of fresh produce and things to help keep the children busy to the families we are supporting - thanks to all of you for your kind donations and The Mermaid putting together the essentials for us. Justin was busy delivering them all across the county! We also purchased a ‘prayer plant’ from Hand Spun Botanics -the perfect tribute for a loved one as the leaves close together in the evening, like praying hands 💛 How beautiful! 💛 #wolo #wolofoundation #cancer #isolation #shielding #covid_19
DO YOU SHOP ONLINE? WE NEED YOU!!
It might not be business as usual, but Wolo Foundation are working hard behind the scenes. We are busy with online training, marketing, updating the website and looking into different revenue streams given that many of our fundraising events are being postponed. The current climate of financial uncertainty has understandably lead to a reduction in donations.
So, we are delighted to let you know that we have signed up to a couple of online fundraising sites Amazon Smile & Easy Fundraising. Did you know that you can fundraise for us at no extra cost to yourselves when shopping online through portals like these? You can help us by supporting us when you shop online.
🌟EASY FUNDRAISING🌟
If you shop online, you can raise FREE donations for Wolo Foundation using Easy Fundraising. Over 4,000 online retailers including John Lewis, Argos, Uswitch, eBay and M&S are ready to give us a free donation every time you shop online. Plus, once you’ve signed up and raised £5 in donations, #easyfundraising will give us an extra £5 bonus donation!
Please sign up using the attached link to support us (it’s FREE and only takes a couple of minutes!):
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/wolofdn/…
Once you’ve signed up, you can also download the App on your phone for access at the touch of a button. https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/easyfundraising-app/
You can shop for the garden, a new electrical appliance, some new exercise gear or a new outfit as well as purchase insurances, switch utilities, order a takeaway - anything!
🌟AMAZON SMILE🌟
Next up, lets get a show of hands for who shops on Amazon?! If you’re anything like us, you will be on first name terms with the couriers! 😝
If you use the link below and select Wolo Foundation as your cause, every time you shop with them via Amazon Smile, a proportion of the sale will convert into a donation to us! #AmazonSmile
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/chpf/homepage…
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support - it means so much to us.
Fler & Justin xx