On behalf of the trustees of Daring to Dream, may I say a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us, sponsored the event, donated raffle or auction lots and generously bought tickets or bid for auction lots.
It was a truly lovely evening – a room full of kind, compassionate, warm and friendly people from different walks of life; many themselves who joined us on Friday night are experiencing the daily reality of living with illness or a member of their family doing so together with the accompanying whirlwind of emotions that arise from this.
It feels like Daring to Dream really is now building an extensive community, even a family, extending out from South East Wales into the South West, West and beyond ……….
Behind the scenes many people and organisations have contributed to making such an event a success, and we couldn’t do it without you all, however, may I just give two very special thankyous:
Firstly to Kai Thornton (and Kate Morgan and Anna Davies from Teenage Cancer Trust).
Kai – by sharing some of your personal story of being diagnosed with leukaemia and what it has felt like to you, including the support you have had from the TCT staff and the camaraderie from your fellow patients, and how you help each other on tough days and laugh together on good days, you inspired us all and touched us too. Thank you so much indeed.
Secondly to The Warblers, the choir of Ray of Light Cancer Support Wales – we loved you being part of our evening. You bring joy and happiness wherever you go, really encouraging everyone to live their lives to the fullest, Daring to Dream is with you all the way!
Our calls to action from Friday night:
- Please make space to talk for those people in your life who are living with illness. You can offer a safe space for them when they want to talk about what it feels like for them. Thank you.
- We are asking that more and more of you get behind us on our social media links, follow us, promote us and help us grow our presence across Wales (@DaringtoDream5 on all social media platforms) and
- We are also asking that if you can spare a few £s each month, please set up a Direct Debit (and gift aid it too) for Daring to Dream. That will help us greatly on our mission to build a resilient and sustainable charity. £5 per month (with gift aid that is £6.25 per month) from one donor at a time, builds together to develop significant dependable unrestricted income.
Simply go to www.daringtodream.wales to set up your DD. Thank you so much for your generosity.
Finally: with your generosity, we have raised over £6,000!
Absolutely fantastic – thank you all so much.
These funds will enable us to provide, in collaboration with Hywel Dda University Health Board a special comfortable and comforting space for Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Patients, who are also supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust. This room is being developed in the chemotherapy outpatients unit at Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth. All being well, completion will be in March 2025.
You can still donate towards this project by heading to www.daringtodream.wales – and just get us absolutely ‘over the line’.
Thank you so, so much to everyone who has helped make this happen. We wish every young person who will use this ‘space to talk’ that they will move through their treatment into good health.
With very best wishes to everyone
Barbara and team #DaringtoDream
