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Hi Sunshine News readers
Hasn’t it felt lovely to see some sunshine this week? It definitely gives me a real boost when the weather is brighter and makes me want to get outdoors more. Its been lovely to be able to meet in small groups outdoors again and enjoy our beautiful region while catching up with friends and family.
Speaking of catching up, last week saw the team enjoy our first face to face team planning day since August 2020!!! As a very small team, we have regular meetings throughout the year to ensure we are meeting all of our charitable aims. The pandemic has of course meant that our offices in Eldon Square have been closed and our team have been operating remotely. Although we catch up daily and have formal virtual team meetings each week, we've definitely all missed the buzz of the office and the mountains of cake and biscuits we consume to support our creative processes….. We were like a group of giggling school girls as we met in the gorgeous surroundings of The Grand, Gosforth Park to plan our campaigns and activities for the months ahead. Although social distancing measures meant that there were no hugs or high fives, there was still a massive amount of love in the huge board room as we chatted excitedly like we’d never been apart! Throughout the day, we had two workshops expertly delivered by our very own Families Coordinator Rachel and Fundraiser Ashleigh, as well as income and equipment updates where we celebrated how much we have managed to achieve over the last 7 months. I'm so lucky to be a part of this wonderful team who are unequivocally dedicated to our cause and I’m truly proud of how we have managed to continue to meet soaring demands for equipment and support services despite the challenges the pandemic has posed for us. Thanks to our supporters and Sunshine News Readers, small charities really can make a big impact! Each of us would like to say a huge thank you to our friends at The Grand for making us feel so welcome and gifting us the covid safe space for the day. We’ll see you all again for our Noche Del Sol ball this November!
This week we held another virtual Trustee meeting and it was a great opportunity to share some recent successes and developments with our board including some fantastic recent Trust Funding we have secured. We are optimistic and excited about how we can grow the charity in the future to develop the services and support that our families have asked for. We are proud to be a service user led charity and grow in relation to what our beneficiaries need. We've been providing services for local families in the North East since 1918 and we want to be here for many years to come!
Finally applications are now being accepted for our May 2021 equipment round. Each quarter we receive applications for support from all over our region, these applications are taken to our equipment panel meeting where our fantastic medical and social care volunteers assess them and ensure the equipment applied for is the right piece for that child. We are able to support families, schools and organisations* who need equipment such as living, mobility or communication aids for a baby, child or young adult in their care. The wide range of equipment we provide can range from powered wheelchairs, to specialist seating, from adapted beds providing a comfortable nights sleep to specialist baths to make tub time safe. We can support IT equipment to help a child with additional needs communicate and support their education or outdoor play equipment allowing kids to be more active and share experiences with their able bodied peers. If would like to find out more about our straight forward application process, please visit our website for full details of how you can apply for help. www.thesunshinefund.org/apply
Stay safe and well
Siobhan
*(Restrictions apply. Please see our website for terms and conditions)