Wednesday 8th December 2021 is the fourth anniversary of Rock For Disability – can you believe it?! On this day 48 months ago, my blog was launched. Today it has 323 published posts, has over 1890 followers and reached more than 38,000 blog hits.
To celebrate the occasion, I would like people to donate money to help fund my future work, but most of all, support four important charities. Every donation made, 20% of it will be given equally to each charity.
UPDATED: 16/12/2021
If you’ve followed my blog and/or social media this year, you man have seen that my family and I have had to face the loss of some very special friends. Therefore, the charities I’ve chosen will be in honour of them.
Drake Music
On 11th January 2021, I found out that my awesome and talented school friend and former roommate Lucy Hale had passed away at the age of 26. She had complex disabilities but that never stopped her becoming an incredible composer.
While studying her music degree in Manchester, Lucy joined Drake Music, an organisation that supports aspiring and talented disabled musicians. She was commissioned to create a number of compositions for various shows, events and projects.
Drake Music has been pioneering the use of accessible music technology for over 20 years. This enables more people to make music.
In that time, it has developed lots of imaginative methods of teaching, learning, writing and playing music.
The organisation specialises in using technology to break down disabling barriers to making music.
The Stubbington Ark – RSPCA
On 8th September 2021, my family and I had to say goodbye to our beloved pet dog Sasha after 15 incredible years together. She had lymphoma and passed away peacefully after being put to sleep at the vet.
We got Sasha as a seven-month-old puppy from The Stubbington Ark RSPCA centre in 2006.
Fortunately, she was only there a few weeks and not harmed or neglected but her previous owners felt they couldn’t commit looking after her and thought it was best to rehome her.
The Stubbington Ark is a Solent branch of the RSPCA, which rescues and rehabilitates animals across a 400 square mile catchment area in Hampshire.
The organisation is able to house cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, all small rodents, stock animals and numerous species of wildlife.
Most of its animals are neutered on site at its in house Veterinary Unit complete with operating theatre and it microchips all adopted cats, dogs, rabbits and ferrets.
The staff and volunteers strive to rescue and rehabilitate all animals and ensure that they all receive the best possible care and the chance to find their new forever homes or be released back into the wild.
Rowans Hospice
On 1st November 2021, my Mum had to say goodbye to her best friend of 30 years Louise Thomson-Anderson (known as Brandy by her navy friends), who had battled with cancer for several years.
Brandy and her family have had support from Rowans Hospice, which gives support to terminally ill patients and bereaved families.
A lot of the hospice care focuses on positive outcomes: from providing patients with relief from symptoms, pain and stress associated with serious illness, to improving quality of life for the patient, their families and carers.
While the organisation provides care for hundreds of people at Rowans Hospice each year, many more never actually come in to the hospice building, and are instead cared for in their own home or in the community. Many people even receive care at the Hospice and are then well enough to go home.
Ataxia UK
It is with a heavy heart that on Wednesday 15th December 2021, a second close friend of mine passed away. Lottie Rapson was another incredible lady who I had the pleasure of meeting at Treloar school too and we’ve had a blossoming friendship ever since.
She lived with Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is a genetic, progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder, which affects balance, coordination and speech.
Sadly, over the years, Lottie’s health deteriorated and had other complex needs including diabetes, epilepsy, sight loss and deafness.
As the news of her passing is still raw, I will publish a full tribute of Lottie’s life soon.
In the meantime, I think it is a fitting tribute for now to also give a donation to the charity Ataxia UK in her memory.
Ataxia UK is the leading national charity in the UK for people affected by any type of ataxia. It funds research into finding treatments and cures, and offer advice, information and support to people affected by the condition.
Donate to Rock For Disability
To donate to Rock For Disability and support these four incredible charities, simply go to the donation page on PayPal and submit your details and donation amount.
So far in 2021, my blog has raised £100. I would love it if we could reach a minimum target of £250 with 20% of the full amount being split between each of these charities. You have until Monday 31st January 2022 at 23:59 to donate.
In addition, every donation made, I will also double with my own money!
If you love my content and want to see more, plus support these amazing organisations, then please give what you can… THANK YOU!!!
