Kind-hearted neighbours decided to spice up the Freddie Farmer Foundation campaign by holding a curry night in their back garden.
About 60 friends and supporters enjoyed the oriental food in Glenesk Road, Eltham, on Saturday, July 23.
Surjit Parkash, who shared the cooking with her sister Rajinder Tamber, said: “We knew about Freddie because his grandparents, Danny and Sheila - live next door, but when we read about the foundation we wanted to make a contribution. Instead of just making a donation, we decided to make an effort.
“Our neighbours had already enjoyed our authentic home-made Indian food so a curry evening sounded like the best idea. My husband Jyoti and I invited friends and colleagues, and Danny and Sheila invited theirs. We didn’t make the curry too hot and people were coming up for seconds and thirds, so all of it went!”
Rajinder’s husband, Jagtar, works for Ford’s in Dagenham and presented £1,296.25 raised among his colleagues for the foundation.
Joe Catchesides, Freddie’s uncle, said: “You can’t get better neighbours than this. We are so grateful for all the work that was put into such a wonderful evening that raised £2,336.25 for the foundation.
Even the kids got the point at a ladies coffee morning that raised a staggering £710 for the Freddie Farmer Foundation. About ten of them were given fairy cakes to keep them occupied at the event in Jo Catchesides’ garden in Petts Wood earlier this month (2 July), but instead of eating them they sold them at 20p each to add an extra £10 to the pot.
“The kids decorated the cakes and turned their table into a shop,” said Jo, sister-in-law to Freddie’s mum, Deanne. “It was a fantastic morning. The sun shone, we were out in the garden and I couldn’t believe how much we raised. I was expecting about half that much. It was the first one I’d ever done and I was a little bit nervous, but everyone was so generous.”
Jo’s daughter Ava, aged six, helped to sell the fairy cakes while her mum, Marilyn, sold homemade cushions and other household things.
Jo’s friend Debbie Leggat of internet company Beautiful Mayblossom Gifts ran a pop-up shop that sold children’s dresses and other clothes, and donated a percentage of everything sold that day to the foundation.
Another friend, Sarah Keable, made some cupcakes and another cake that was so popular it was put up for auction.
Sainsbury’s in Eltham, who have adopted the foundation as its charity for a year, also donated home-made cakes and other raffle prizes.
“It was a roaring success,” said Jo, “and we’ll definitely do it again next year.”
If you do anything that’s “not cricket” at Tally Ho CC you’ll be fined at least a tenner. And if you do well for them – for example, score 50 or take five wickets – it could be even more costly! The club plays its home games at the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich. Every penny raised from the “fines” goes to the Freddie Farmer Foundation.
The Freddie Farmer Foundation, a registered charity, was set up earlier this year to raise funds for a specialist physiotherapy centre to be built in SE London, incorporating a “Spider” to support children as they go through intensive treatment. Its inspiration is six-year-old Freddie Farmer who was born at 28 weeks, weighing just 2lb 12oz, with cerebral palsy.
Captain Joe Catchesides, Freddie’s uncle, explained: “We all used to be involved at the RACS club in New Eltham before the ground was closed. We had a wonderful time there and wanted to carry on in one way or another. All the best young players play league cricket on a Saturday but still like to play for us on Sundays or midweek. We started off raising the money for Freddie and now it goes to the foundation that was set up earlier this year.”
Freddie’s granddad, Danny Catchesides – who will make a sky dive for the foundation in September – and publisher Mike Ash used to help run colts cricket at the Co-op ground in Footscray Road.
Mike, as well as umpiring with Danny, now supervises the fines. At the latest game – an entertaining draw at the village green at West Peckham in Kent on Sunday, July 10 – he fined two players for turning up in flip-flops and another for a stunning catch!
The village is also a very popular watering hole for walkers and the Bromley Ramblers promptly donated £45 to the cause, taking the total on the day to £400.
Captain Joe said: “We play about four or five games a season. We have a great craic and it’s all for a great cause, for Freddie and children like him with mobility problems.”
West Peckham’s South African captain Angus Buchanan, who made a 50, was presented with a Tally Ho tie as a Freddie Farmer supporter. He said: “Tally Ho has become one of our favourite visitors. They play well and always in the right spirit.”
Any club wishing to play Tally Ho CC can contact Mike Ash on 07714 854333.
A brother and sister aged five and three-and-a-half joined the rest of the family in a fund-raising fun run for Freddie.
Matthew and Evie Chapman helped raise more than £500 for the Freddie Farmer Foundation in the 5k event at Eltham Park South.
Their mum, Katie Chapman, said: “There were six of us altogether and we all made it. Matthew and Evie did really well and we are very proud of them.”
The money will go towards the foundation’s fund-raising campaign to build a special physiotherapy centre in SE London for six-year-old Freddie – who was born at 28 weeks with cerebral palsy - and children like him with mobility problems.
Freddie’s mum, Deanne Farmer, said: “Katie and the family did amazingly well to raise so much and we’re very grateful for their efforts, especially the children!”
The Freddie Farmer Foundation has secured The Churchill Room at the House of Commons on Friday 2 September 2011 for a special fund-raising Gala Dinner. Tickets cost £90 per person (in advance) and include a 3-course meal, wine (half bottle per person) and a special guest speaker (to be announced). For more information visit the Events page on the Freddie Farmer Foundation website.
RSS Feed