Get A-Head News

Trek Ahead - Celebration Dinner. JOB DONE!

2010-10-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

We all get the glad rags out and the makeup bag is dusted off. Quick glass of vino in the bar and then Mohammed and Rashid hurry us along to the minibuses. We arrive at the Dar Marjana Marrakech restaurant for our celebration. We have a welcome non alcoholic cocktail on the roof terrace and rush around taking photos of everyone in their posh frocks. We are then led downstairs to a large beautiful private dining room with big round tables and lots of cushions. We are in a “Riad” of sorts with a lovely garden area and fountain. The meal started with bread and Moroccan salads, one of which was lambs brains, we felt like we were in an Indiana Jones film!! We had lots more food and wine, of course, with the highlight being a belly dancer who managed to get a few of us up and also a double music act Moroccan style!! They were amazing, dancing and singing, leaping in the air and trying to get as many people up dancing as possible. Max is hiding in the fireplace because her worst nightmare would be to get up and join in, unfortunately she is wearing white trousers that soon turn black with the soot! However the usual dance suspects obliged, Sam B. Kerry, Sam A, Sam S, Fi and Rachel. Sarah H is going to become a belly dancer and live in a small Riad near the souks and Medina. Sam B led her own dance ignoring the actual dance the double act were performing! Sam then says a few words followed by a 15 verse song composed by Tessa. The song is amazing, well done our talented friend. Angela then concludes by thanking Sam and congratulating her on such a fantastic achievement. We still didn't get Sam to cry but Pippa was a bit choked when handing out our gifts of tassel key rings from action challenge. We were then asked to leave as it was suddenly 1am!!!! We arrived back at the hotel making an awful lot of noise and were quickly reprimanded by the front desk and sent on our way to bed.

THE TREKKER'S BLOG - DAY 2

2010-10-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

The day starts with a mountain of bags in the reception of our hotel, a pile to leave in Marrakech and a pile to go on the mules. We have a 2 hour triple convoy of minibuses to our starting point which is very windy and bumpy. One casualty on the road and a quick stop for her! Suddenly, we see the mules and guides waiting. Lots of local children come to greet us. We set off about 10.30 in 40oC; it is incredibly uncomfortable in this heat. The first two hours are so hard purely because of the intense heat. We have a couple of minor casualties but nothing a bit of assistance by the mules doesn’t cure. Thank goodness it clouds over a bit and it becomes slightly more bearable. The scenery is stunning, a real mixture of green, brown and red. We arrive at 2pm for lunch in a shady spot where we are treated to salads, fruit, bread and mint tea. It is a very welcome break and we all soon feel re energized to start on the afternoon's walk. Most people need to relieve themselves much to the giggles of others queuing behind to wait their turn. The afternoon is much cooler and feels more relaxed but still some tricky bits to negotiate. We go through some villages and find a shop where Sam A and Hazelnut buy 10 Mars bars for everyone to enjoy later on! We arrive at our gite in Tizi Oussm and soon get sorted in rooms of various numbers. There are two dorms of seven - that will interesting!! We are all feeling a bit grubby so the fact that there is a Hammam here is very welcome. The swimsuits are grabbed and soon discarded as we set about with hot and cold taps filling buckets and chucking it over our heads, shampoo and shower gel is thrown around the small steamy room. The laughter can be heard down the valley. We have just finished our lovely meal and tucking into warm drinks before bed and its only 9pm. We have a hard day ahead climbing from 1000m to 3000m and then back down a bit to our second gite for tomorrow night.

Ahead of the pack!!!!

2010-09-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

A team of “Get A-Head” fundraisers recently completed the Bristol half marathon, raising almost £6,000 to help fund a three year research programme into an extremely rare genetic disorder, which can lead to thyroid cancer. Ranging from seasoned runners to first-timers, all of the team completed the race in respectable times, the fastest being an outstanding 1 hour 35 minutes, just 32 minutes after the winning athlete! Approximately 10,000 people competed in the event which, in spite of the mixed weather conditions, was fantastically organised on the day. The team was made up of Mark Hobbs, Sam Bromwich, Iain Critchlow, Adrian Bloor, Graeme Payne, Laura Taylor, Marcus Bromwich and Imogen Yeoman. Well done to you guys from all of us here at 'Get A-Head' - we are grateful for your continued support and for raising such a fantastic amount!!!

Tom Bromwich Private Dinner

2010-07-01T03:31:00.000-07:00

Tom held his dinner on Monday 21st June and the 'sell out' evening was the usual predicted success. Lord Digby Jones gave up his time to join the guests and this helped to raise a significant amount for the charity. Thanks to all who signed up to the evening!!!!

The Get A-Head Ball 2010

2010-05-10T05:39:00.001-07:00

Plans are well underway for this year’s Ball on Saturday 13th November at The Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel. Our line-up is Dr Hilary Jones, Bobby Davro, Katrina (formerly with the Waves), the Mark Butcher Band and Lord Archer. Tickets remain at £75 per head and the hotel will do a favourable room rate if you wish to make a weekend of it. Some fantastic prizes will be auctioned and good food and dancing will round it all off nicely!! For details contact Jenna Nicholas in the office on 0121 697 8371. Book early, we had a wait list last year!! As usual, the Metropole are offering a limited number of rooms at a discounted rate. To book, follow this link.
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/BHXMETW-GGAHA-20101113/index.jhtml

Trek A-Head Mount Toubkal 29th Sept - 5th Oct 2010

2010-02-18T02:32:00.000-08:00

This challenge is being taken up by 33 girls from various parts of the country to trek for 5 days in the high Atlas Mountains to the summit of the mighty Mount Toubkal (13,671 feet) - North Africa's highest peak. This includes some very demanding and steep climbs. Each day will be intensive trekking from 6am with at least 6-8 hours per day covering between 12-14kms, with the final day trekking up to the summit for 10- 12 hours covering 20 kms.

The purpose of the trek is to raise money for the “Get A-Head” charity, specifically to fund a junior doctor/PhD medical student to do a 3 year research programme into the extremely rare condition Familial Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma. The aim of “Get A-Head” is to support both adults and children with head and neck diseases, but especially those with cancer. The three main funding areas are equipment, research and education. This challenge is fundraising specifically for research. Unless we can understand how a disease works at its most basic level, it is difficult to develop new treatments. Sam Bromwich is co-ordinating this challenge, with her close links to the “Get A-head” charity due to the thyroid cancer problems in her family.

Between now and the leaving date we will be organising many events to fund raise and also each individual participant will be setting up their own just giving page to receive donations.

If you would like to make a donation please do it through Sam’s just giving page link here:

http://www.justgiving.com/sambromwich-trekahead/

The Patients' Support Group Xmas Party

2009-12-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

This year we moved to a new venue, the Nautical Club in Bishopsgate Street, Near Five Ways, Birmingham and so it was that on Friday 4th December, we all met up for our annual celebration of not only Xmas, but meeting everyone in a social environment. The food was lovely and the atmosphere in the room was heightened by the superb decorations put up by Helen and Ricki who run the club, so thanks to them!! Dennis Price and Fran Gurney spent most of the day preparing the layout for the prizes - along with Shirley - who does a superb job of 'organising' the tickets and the numbers board for the ever-popular tombola. Fran's daughter Amanda and their friend Deirdre were once again on duty - and it if it weren't for the people mentioned above, we wouldn't have had such a successful party - so thank you very much for giving up your time to help 'Get A-Head'. AND, it certainly wouldn't have been possible without the support of the patients - or should we say, friends, who attended on the night! Merry Christmas to all of you and watch this space for news of next year's date. (more pics to come!)

The Patient Liaison Network

2009-11-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Party for the Patient Support Group will be held on Friday 4th December 2009 at the Nautical Club in Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham. Please let the office know if you would like to attend so we can cater accordingly for the guests! We look forward to seeing you there.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER !!

2009-11-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Well, we are all just recovering from an amazing Ball held at the Metropole last night. All the planning and hard work with a dedicated team has paid off and we raised well in excess of £100,000. More details and those all important pictures to follow! Thanks to all 675 of you who joined us and gave your support to what was a spectacular fundraising event!!

Teresa's Last Race..

2009-10-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Teresa's 3 runs are finally over, having just completed the Birmingham Half Marathon. She said, 'although it was a struggle, I am so pleased to say, WE DID IT!' She would like to thank everyone who supported her and sponsored her. Raising just over £265 pounds is fantastic. Here's a picture of Teresa with Christopher...a very grateful brother I think!

Well done Teresa from all of us here at Get A-Head.

Final run for Teresa Dawber....

2009-10-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Teresa's final run is this Sunday at the Birmingham Half Marathon. Good luck Teresa and well done so far. Teresa is running to raise funds for GET A-HEAD. Her brother Christopher, the youngest of 7 was diagnosed aged 21 with thyroid cancer after a biopsy in February, he then went on to have two operations, followed by some radiation treatment, some time spent in isolation, and a body scan. He is an extremely positive character. You are an inspiration to us all Christopher. Pictured here (on the left) with his nephew Joseph.

John Davies is 'on the run'

2009-09-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone – I have a story for you to read, as I am trying to raise some money for a worthwhile cause. 12 years ago I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer and went to see an ENT consultant in Chester. He told me I had the disease and arranged for me to have my thyroid removed. Then a person I knew told me that they were friends with a head and neck surgeon and that I should speak to him as well (probably the best advice I have ever received). That was when I was introduced to a consultant named John Watkinson. I will cut to the chase at this point. John told me the disease was advanced and he needed to remove my thyroid and do a neck dissection to remove all the cancerous nodules. After the operation I was given radioiodine to kill off any leftovers. My operation was a success and I maintain annual check ups with John.
For one reason or another I have never raised funds for this charity, although I have done extensive fundraising for cancer research and other causes in the past 12 years. I think that maybe I thought raising money for Get A-Head was self indulgent and maybe I didn’t want reminding of what I went through other than my yearly checkups. Now a little older and a lot wiser, I have decided to put this right and hopefully you will support me running this half marathon and a very very very worthwhile cause.
If the people involved didn’t do what they do, then I wouldn’t be here today. Please give generously - many thanks
To donate – please follow the online instructions - http://www.justgiving.com/John-Davies1

THE THREE MOUNTAINEERS....

2009-09-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

...have now peaked to four!!! Tim Doyle (Peach Pubs), Paul Salisbury (Lovely Pubs), David Salisbury (Salisbury Pubs) and Lee Cash (Peach Pubs) are about to climb Kilimanjaro. Yes, that famous mountain frequented by people from all walks of life...including a few celebs. But we have our own! These guys set out on the 2nd October and return on the 11th and hopefully having raised quite a few pennies for Get A-Head en route. We are one of three charities who will benefit from this enormous uphill fundraising effort. These guys are currently in training. The end of the trek will be celebrated with an evening party at The Almanac in Kenilworth. 'We'll be dredging the depths of our energy reserves to raise funds for these charities...' All you have to do is click on to Just Giving and help these guys 'Make it Happen!'

Teresa Dawber's Marathon Efforts!

2009-09-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

On the 6th September, Teresa ran the Carver Wolverhampton Half Marathon and completed the first of a trio of runs for Get A-Head. She tells us the last part of that run was 'very hilly'. Well done to you Teresa. With a little break in between she set off to complete the Cancer Research 10k Sutton Park run and now with a bigger gap in which to train, she will concentrate on the Birmingham Half Marathon on Sunday 11th October. Teresa is doing this in support of her brother who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in February. She talks of his positive outlook on life and it is this which has spurred Teresa on. You are both an inspiration to all of us! Good luck. If you wish to support teresa, please get in touch via this website. Teresa, we hope you didn't run barefoot!!

Barnt Green Sunday Lunch

2009-07-23T01:43:00.000-07:00

It was Sunday 7th June and raining. It started on Friday at around 3pm and hadn’t stopped. The marquee had been re-dressed and transformed from a Rock and Roll theme to a beautiful Sunday Lunch setting, complete with fresh roses sitting decoratively on the tables. Still raining. Everyone was busy with the various preparations, moving from one task to the other in their wellies. Still raining. The aroma of the food was inviting and the bucks fizz was ready at the reception area to greet the first of our esteemed guests. Still raining. The items for the silent auction were being laid out, by Dennis (the expert) and presented in the best possible light. I heard what I thought was a record being played. It sounded lovely. It wasn’t a record, it was Jack Montgomery rehearsing! What a wonderful voice! Brian Conley, our entertainment for the day, arrived and he went through the order of events with JJ Loades and John Watkinson. Still raining. We had some late irresistible offers of items to auction, so we set about getting that information on to the tables for our guests. It was just after midday and we were almost there…then we looked up and noticed a break in the clouds. We were ready and the sun turned up to complete the preparations and stayed with us all afternoon.

We had a silent auction of 44 items. A main auction of five items and a raffle consisting of three very attractive prizes. One of the raffle items; dinner at the Butcher’s Arms was (generously) returned so we promptly auctioned it for £800. How was that for five minutes work? The Jazz Ramblers played us through the afternoon and Jack Montgomery sang for us. Then he joined Brian Conley, undeniably the star of the day, in a duet.

Brian entertained us in a way that somehow exceeded our expectations. He was off the cuff in his delivery and his repertoire knew no bounds. A true professional who captivated the mood, his audience - and created an atmosphere which set the tone for the remainder of the day. He auctioned some fabulous items for us, raising much needed funds, and then he auctioned himself! Someone bid for an audience with him for his wife’s 50th birthday celebrations – what a wonderful present! Once all the pledges are in – and we are nearly there – Brian will have been responsible for raising in excess of £50, 000 for us that day. He appeared free of charge. Thank you Brian.

Stephen Fisher, photographer captured the moment for us all and his pictures are will be on the site very soon. Everyone had a fantastic time and it is obvious in these pictures!

And finally, we could not have done this without the absolute generosity of all our supporters who gave us wonderful, bespoke gifts to auction. And THANKS to all who helped on the day; Fran Gurney, Amanda Smith, Dennis Price, Annette and Paul Darby and Rachel Barron. Ultimately, we owe a debt of gratitude to Tony, JJ and Mason Loades who spent time and effort, donating not only their valuable time but their home too. Their enthusiasm for us is warm and appreciated as well as valued and respected. JJ Loades orchestrated the whole weekend of events and was completely unflappable – even when everywhere was wet and getting wetter!!!

Get A-Head Secures Joint Fellowship Funding

2009-07-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

On the 21st May GAH met with The Royal College of Surgeons of England and awarded Neil Sharma a Joint Fellowship for one year. This continues our 'pump priming' of clinicians for academic research which boosts the value of our funding and is a very solid stepping stone to more intense, longer term research with established organisations such as The Wellcome Trust. More about this ongoing project in the research section of the website.

Pedal Power

2009-07-23T00:54:00.000-07:00

On the 8th May 2009, a volunteer of 'The Get A-Head' Charity and a newly appointed Trustee, Rachel Barron, got on her bike with two chums, Ann Peate and Lynda Fawthrop and after months of all-weather training - undertook the challenge of a Coast to Coast bike ride and pedalled up a super £1500 pounds for GAH. Well done to Rachel, Ann and Lynda for completing the uphill challenge and our grateful thanks for choosing to support us.

The Rock & Roll Evening

2009-07-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

On the 5th June the sun shone – it was a typical English summer’s day and it was a Friday – the start of the weekend - and the weather looked hopeful to remain that way for the next 3 days. The marquee was erected, the caterers had delivered their hardware and Tony & JJ Loades, along with some good chums (Gilly and Barry) were just putting the finishing touches to the setting that became the Rock and Roll Evening. Then at around 3pm, it started to rain and it rained and rained and rained. But, our spirits weren’t dampened. The band, Johnny and The Zephyrs were stuck on the M5 and the portable loos were not far behind them! Come 7pm, the guests arrived and were all on good form for what was to be a wonderful evening. Everyone joined in the spirit of the event, wearing rock & roll outfits – each with their own interpretation of the era. Sally Hadfield had prepared a slap-up supper and Nick Underwood delivered some fine wine. One of JJ Loades’ friends took a jar round and ‘stole’ loose change (including notes) – raising a cool £794 and that was before the raffle, which raised a further £925. The prizes were a magnum of champagne, fully body massage and an evening of fine Indian Cuisine all donated by John James, Body Tone and Mr Nat Batt of The Maharaja – respectively. Mickey Pugh did a stirling job of anchoring the whole evening together. Thank you to everyone who supported JJ and her family and an enormous Thank You from Get A-Head. Please enjoy the pictures, all taken and generously donated to us by Stephen Fisher.

The Get A-Head Annual Golf Day

2009-07-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

This was held on Tuesday 16th June and we were guests of Edgbaston Golf Club. Mike Hargreaves hosted this for us and he secured an order for sunshine too!! He ordered fahrenheit; they delivered centigrade, but no-one complained. After a light lunch, the teams set off on part one and were fed, watered and topped up with chocolate for part two of the course.

Guest Trucks sponsored the day together with Marcity Developments. Other sponsors were, ESC Limited, Webb Gray and Partners, Jones Lang Lasalle, HSBC, Jamie Cundy, Cox Lee & Co, Allied Irish Bank, Metro Bar & Grill and Island Steel. We auctioned some lovely prizes during dinner. Saracens rugby tickets; Ashes tickets; a signed cricket bat and picture; a signed Blues shirt and a round of golf at Edgbaston. We are thankful to everyone who contributed and took part. The winning team were Apres Bar UK - well done! Mike and Cassie and Jennifer helped raise just over £7,500. Not bad for a beautifully sunny day when everyone had a good round of golf followed by the usual delightful fare from the kitchens at Edgbaston Golf Club.

New Get A-Head website!

2009-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today we have launched our new website for the Get A-Head cancer charity. The website has fresh new design and up to date relevant information.

New features include:

- Easy to donate system
- In depth helpful information and research.
- Latest news and events blogs
- Patient network blog
- In site search facility
- Newsletter sign up
- Contact forms and interactive map

Not forgetting our animated logo!

The focus of the website is to allow users to quickly find useful information and have access to the latest news, events from the Get A-Head cancer charity.

We have put a lot of work into creating this website, please contact us with your thoughts.

Get A-Head and donate with Justgiving

2009-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

If you want to organise your own fundraising event, utilising this great service is simple.
Click here for more info.