The Fire Fighters Charity

North East

Contact details: Fundraising Assistant

Counties Covered: Cleveland, Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear

Forthcoming Events

Latest Fundraising News

CYCLE N SLEEP Event: 22 - 24th August

The team at the finish!Gregg and Gary Hobson decided to do the C2C in memory of their dad, Byron Hobson, otherwise known as Buzzer By when he recently passed away due to Cancer. They came up with the idea as Byron was a keen cyclist and had completed the C2C himself and raised a lot of money for The Fire Fighters Charity. Byron was a fire fighter all his working life and was a Divisional Officer for Northumerland Fire Brigade until his retirement in 1994. The cycling team was made up of Gregg Hobson, Ian Bryce, Matt Holmes, Gary Hobson, his son Lewis and his cousin Shaun Camplbell. So far they have raised over £1,162.33 for the Charity - well done! If anyone would like to help them increase their total then pelase get in touch with Gary on gary.hobson@wurth.co.uk or visit the team's JUSTGIVING page

Transporter Bridge Ascent!

Climb Transporter Bridge for Charity!The first ever ascent / decent of the Transporter Bridge will be taking place on July the 12th, weather permitting. So if you are fit and want to do something different and challenge yourself then this is for you! You will be “clogging" up on a rope, to the top which is 165 feet and then abseiling down. For those of you who are competitive then we can time you, or you can just have a rest and admire the views as you progress up.

The event is in aid of The Fire Fighters Charity and Cleveland Fire Support Network. There is a £25 entry fee and we would expect each individual to raise £75. Entry fees paid in advance.

Training, instruction and Health and Safety briefings will be carried out at Coulby Station so on the day everyone will be happy, feel safe and know what they are doing. On the day Foxtrot Station will be used for refreshments, warmth, shelter, encouragement and reassurance.

For more information please contact Ray Pyne, Watch Manager from Coulby Newham station on 01642 535903.

 

Car Wash Shampoo

Martin Scott from Halfords, Bridge Road, Stockton on Tees, has very kindly supplied all the car wash shampoo for Cleveland Fire & Rescue Service stations taking part in the March National Car Wash.  Thank you Martin – that means that all the money donated by members of the public, will go straight to the Charity and to the beneficiaries in need.

 

Nine men Trek 97 Miles!

On the 12th of July, a team of 9 men, including a father and son, embarked on a gruelling three day, 97 mile trek known as the St Oswald's Way. The group, who were all born in Northumberland, although with many now living in other parts of the UK, decided to set themselves a challenge that would put their physical strengths and willpower to the test whilst also raising money for charity.

The team set out from Holy Island near the Scottish Borders at 8'oclock on the first morning and raced across the causeway back to the mainland to beat the incoming tide. Their route then led them 33 miles along arguably some of the most stunning coastline in England; passing the impressive Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles before resting for the night at the small fishing village of Craster. Participant, Rick Battaglia, commented that, 'It was such a refreshing change to get away from the hustle and bustle of London and to remember what a beautiful place Northumberland is; stunning and steeped in history. It was even more refreshing to chat to some people along the way and in particular the three senior ladies in Belford who insisted they donated to the charity, definitely something I'm not used to in London'.

On day 2, the route continued along the coast before heading up the Coquet Dale Valley to Rothbury. During this stretch, the scenery changed quickly from pristine golden beaches to rugged hills, forests and fields. Steve Cooper, reflected, 'after two days and approximately 64 miles it was quite daunting to see what lay in store for the final day. The Simonside Hills are impressive but not particularly friendly to worn-out and painful legs and knees.

The final day saw the team drag themselves from Rothbury towards Tyndale. Approaching the finish, they conquered the last few miles along Hadrian's Wall before exhaustedly reaching St Oswald's Church in Heavenfield, 33 miles and 15 hours later.

The most senior member of the team, Norman Cooper, 30 years "more wise", than the next oldest added, 'We were delighted to finish. The distance over three days, rather than the more usual six, as well as the terrain made this a very tough challenge. On the last day it was difficult just to keep our feet moving.'

At the last count, the group had raised approximately £2,500 which is being donated to two charities; The Bobby Robson Foundation, raising money for cancer research and treatment at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle and The Fire Fighters Charity, which supports active and retired Fire Fighters and their families.

A Terrific Trans American Journey!

A firefighter from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is taking to the roads in a bid raise money for The Fire Fighters Charity and The Prostate Cancer Charity. Paul Howey, a Watch Manager from Morpeth is setting out to do the Trans America Trail by motorcycle over a period of five and a half weeks from May to July 2007. The Trans America Trail is a 4,800 mile off road cross USA trail will take Paul from Toronto, Canada to Port Oreford where he will ride his bike back to Vancouver and fly home. For more information on Paul's trip, see the website www.transamtrail.co.uk. To make a donation, there are direct links to two 'Just Giving' web pages for the two charities on the website. Everyone at the Charity wishes Paul the very best of luck with his fantastic and brave challenge!

A Firefighter from Cleveland has been taking time out to fundraise for The Fire Fighters Charity by holding educational talks throughout the country.  Martin Pottinger has shared his various experiences from his twenty years as a Firefighter with church groups, retirement fellowships, and being hired as an after-dinner speaker at Rotary Clubs and Inner Wheel meetings.

Martin has never charged a fee for his work but has always asked for a donation to be made to the charity.  To date, he has raised several hundred pounds for The Fire Fighters Charity.  Martin explains, “I cannot explain why I enjoy this type of work so much but I love to express my feelings about the job I do.  No two audiences are the same and I feel privileged to be standing in front of people and discussing a subject that I have so much passion for.”

Topic’s included in Martin’s talks are his journey to New York in 2002 to visit Ground Zero and the ‘Highs and Lows’ that he has experienced as a Firefighter. Martin holds The Fire Fighters Charity with a very high regard and applauds the services that the organisation offers. Martin continues, “I have seen first hand how the services have helped so many of my colleagues.  Without such help and assistance, I am sure that many of them may not have returned to active duty.  With this in mind, I can think of no better reason for doing my bit to help.”

If you would like more information about Martin’s fundraising talks, please don’t hesitate to call him on 01642 823425 or 07816 879884.