The Bradley Stoke Journal

Great Western Round Table (GWRT) are again helping Santa Claus visit the Bristol area in the run up to Christmas and he and his elves hope to raise thousands of pounds to give to local worthy causes in the area.

Santa will be visiting Bradley Stoke between 6pm and 8pm on Friday (9th December) and he is hoping to meet lots of children so that he can give away sweets and collect Christmas letters.

Mike Santiago-Griggs, Sleigh Chairman of GWRT, said:

“We are really looking forward to it as it is such a Bristol tradition, we have been stockpiling that special fairy dust and we also again have a fantastic looking sleigh this year and everybody helping just can’t wait.”

Last year the charity raised over £17,000 to hand to local worthy causes in the area, through events that included the Downend Fireworks Show, Children in Need and, of course, the Santa Sleigh.

More info: GWRT Meet Santa

Fundraisers will be donning pyjamas slightly earlier than usual this Sunday in Bradley Stoke when they stage a sponsored walk in aid of the Lily Foundation, which raises money for research into mitochondrial disease and other metabolic disorders.

Keith Wilson (@thechiefwilson on Twitter) told The Journal that the walk is being staged to mark the second birthday of his niece, Freya, who suffers from the disease.

A Facebook event page has been set up to promote the walk, which is part of the Lily Foundation’s ‘Stay in Bed Day’.

Gemma Cooke writes on the Facebook page:

“The Lily Foundation are holding a Stay in Bed day on Sunday 25th September and seeing as this is Freya’s Birthday I thought I had to get involved!”

“Basically, I am planning to go for a walk, all around Bradley Stoke (route to be decided), starting at the Jubilee Centre (previously the Blue Hut) at 6pm.”

“The only catch, is that everyone is to wear Pyjamas! That’s, mums, dads, kids, babies, everyone! I will have Lily Foundation buckets, collection tins and balloons and all I ask is that every walker makes a small donation!”

“As its short notice I’m not bothering with sponsor forms or anything like that, literally just turn up at 6pm in your pjs and off we go!”

Gemma has also set up a sponsorship page on JustGiving.com: Freya’s Pyjama Walk

Abigail Newton Smith, the young cerebral palsy sufferer from Bradley Stoke who travelled to the USA for an operation to help her get around without a wheelchair, is to feature in a BBC West documentary tonight (Monday 20th June).

Abigail travelled to the St Louis Children’s Hospital to the undergo the selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) procedure in December 2010, after local people and businesses raised £36,000 to pay for the operation through the Footsteps 4 Abigail appeal.

At the time, the procedure was not available in the UK, but surgeons at Frenchay Hospital recently performed the surgery for the first time on the NHS – on a seven-year-old from Cornwall.

Both children feature in tonight’s Inside OutWest special, which goes out at 7:30pm on BBC1 West.

Toby Cox, another child from Bradley Stoke to have undergone SDR surgery in the USA, recently celebrated the first anniversary of his operation.

Related links:

• Inside Out West preview clip (BBC)
• Footsteps for Abigail Facebook page
• Help Toby Walk campaign website

A man from Bradley Stoke is to take part in a 1,000 mile charity cycle ride to raise funds for a local hospital that treated his broken back five years ago.

David Hart, 48, fractured two vertebrae in a watersports accident in 2006 and received treatment at Frenchay Hospital.

Raising money for Shine Together, Leukaemia & Lymphona Research and the Katharine House Hospice, the Gran Charity Giro will see a team of ten riders cycle from Stafford (UK) to Milan (Italy) in early July.

Also in the team is Craig Denning, who works at the Giant Cycle store at Bradley Stoke’s Willow Brook Centre.

Read more: Cyclist thanks hospital that treated his broken back (Bristol Evening Post)

Related link: Gran Charity Giro on Facebook

Local  resident Bob Bloomer is currently on a mammoth sponsored cycle ride in aid of  Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Bob, an ex-professional footballer (Chesterfield, Bristol Rovers & Cheltenham) who now works for the Football League, trained for his ride at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre and is supported by Giant Bradley Stoke, who have loaned him a road bike.

He is currently on Day 5 of his challenge and is finding it quite tough, especially as it’s a solo effort, but is spurred on by the continuing donations he is receiving through his website www.justgiving.com/bob-bloomer.

The schedule of Bob’s charity ride:

• Friday 6th May (Day 1) – Bristol (Rovers) to Portsmouth (training ground, Eastleigh)
• Saturday (Day 2) – Portsmouth to Oxford
• Sunday (Day 3) – Oxford to Swindon to Cheltenham
• Monday (Day 4) – Cheltenham to Walsall to Shrewsbury
• Tuesday (Day 5) – Shrewsbury to Swansea
• Wednesday (Day 6) – Swansea to Cardiff (on to Bristol)
• Thursday (Day 7) – Cardiff (Bristol) to Exeter
• Friday (Day 8) – Exeter to Plymouth to Torquay
• Saturday (Day 9) – Torquay to Yeovil
• Sunday 15th May (Day 10) – Yeovil to Bristol (City) (training ground)

Read more: Bloomer gearing up for charity challenge

Megan & Grace Elder are 4-year-olds doing a six mile bike ride in three stages by riding to and from their nursery (Leapfrog in Bradley Stoke).

They have completed the first two miles and Thursday and Friday they will complete the final stages of their task.

This is all in aid of Red Nose Day 2011, so any help for these young fundraisers would be greatly received.

More info: Megan & Grace’s Red Nose Day Giving Page