In many ways, Captain Tom showed us all that charity begins at home, and by doing that, he became a hero to many of us.
Captain Sir Tom, who was given the honorary title of colonel on his 100th birthday, had initially set out to raise £1,000 for NHS charities by walking laps of the 82ft (25m) loop in his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. But he eventually raised £32,794,701 from more than one and a half million supporters.
May he Rest in Peace – thank you Colonel Sir Tom!
Hi I am Naomi and I am a 2nd year children’s nursing student at Edge Hill Uni. While at uni I work as a healthcare assistant and when home in my local parish cafe.
I am one of 4 girls and have been brought up in a family where we have been taught the importance of caring for others. From a young age as a family we have annually gone to Lourdes on pilgrimage, through seeing my parents work as helpers and then having the opportunity to be a helper myself I gained an insight into healthcare and realised this was my vocation.
Coming from a large family and babysitting family friend’s children regularly I decided that children’s nursing was the career path I wished to follow. My time on the course so far has just increased my drive to become a children’s nurse and has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing people along the way.
Outside of my course I am a coffee addict as well as having a love for Disney, books and cooking.
I am extremely grateful for any donation.
You can sponsor Naomi, here.
Thank you to all our supporters who have sent us stamps. We have been able to support a number of charities that use these stamps for raising much needed funds. So far, we have helped:
We would like to thank the National Shrine of Saint Jude for adding their stamps to the pot too. They receive a number of letters each day, and all these stamps are added to our pot.
The Living by Giving Trust has decided to collect used stamps and then send them on to a worthy charity every six months. Each time we will ask our loyal supporters to choose a charity to support, which will mean we can help two different charities a year and reach out to more people in a very simple way.
If would like to be involved, please simply send your used stamps to: Stamps, Carmelite Friars, PO Box 289, FAVERSHAM, Kent, ME13 3BZ. Please make sure that the paper around the stamp is cut as close as possible to it, so it’s not too heavy for you to send. Thank you.
Once again, various volunteers from the Living by Giving Trust were able to help the Frontline Homeless Soup Run Group earlier this year. The group has been running for over twenty years simply by the volunteering and goodwill of local people in Stamford Hill, North London who make sandwiches, tea, coffee, soup, etc, for homeless people in central London every Saturday evening. The Living by Giving Trust volunteers helped at the special Christmas event held every year in January when the UK experiences the coldest of temperatures. Volunteers and guests enjoyed a lovely day.
If you would like to help in the future, please email Stephen, or donate to the cause via our donation site here.
Thank you to everyone who came along to our Christmas fundraiser in Chancery Lane! We had a brilliant time and raised lots of money for our special projects. We will update our site soon with the final figure.
The Living By Giving Trust were privileged to be part of ‘Team Bea’ – a project we took on to assist Baby Bea and her family through various forms of respite. Sadly, Beatrice passed away shortly after her first birthday – four years ago this month. 
Those who knew Baby Bea and who saw the loving care she received from her family were inspired and enriched. As part of her legacy, Project ‘Team Bea’ now provides a platform to advise and enable any potential volunteers who want to undertake (Living by Giving Trust) charity approved work – to date, this has enabled numerous volunteers to provide respite for disabled children and adults around the UK and Europe.
One volunteer utilised our Project ‘Team Bea,’ so she could join a group providing respite for disabled and sick children in Lourdes, France. Following her experience, she changed her whole life direction and is now a paediatric (children’s) nurse.
As part of the project we asked our volunteer to write about her experience. We believe her words are a perfect tribute to the legacy of Beatrice…
When asked to put into words,
Why I wanted to become a children’s nurse,
I found it almost impossible,
It’s an answer you can’t rehearse.
To some it seems quite strange,
A concept they can’t understand,
Why you would want to get up at 5am,
And be someone’s constant helping hand.
But maybe this is because,
The magic just cant be seen,
The moments shared with the children,
To you, on which they lean.
By taking disabled children to Lourdes,
I found my reason to live,
I went from lost and unknowing,
To wanting to nurse so I could give.
Their eyes, they tell a story,
If you look deep enough you can see,
Their little hands that always fit yours,
Whatever their size may be.
The acceptance of their futures,
And bright outlook they always show,
However dark & short it may seem,
An on looker would never know.
For, however sick & poorly they feel,
They always put up a fight,
Showing you how precious life is,
They push with all their might.
They push to see another day,
To touch the lives of many,
As anyone lucky enough to meet them,
Would lovingly give their last penny.
So, to those who ask me to explain,
Why I want to become a nurse,
I’ve decided to ask them this question,
That, I can rehearse.
Why would you not jump at the honour,
Of being that helping hand,
To a child whose body is so sick,
But whose heart you can understand?
Their time on earth is precious,
So whatever you manage to give,
Is a purpose to your life,
That gives you the reason to live.
If you are interested to find out more of what we do please check out our website www.livingbygivingtrust.com or if you have any ideas and would like an information pack please contact us at contact@livingbygivingtrust.com
Many people have great ideas for positive things they would like to offer to our society – the Living by Giving Trust provides the foundation for people to blossom and has endless potential.
To find out more about Beatrice’s Story, please check out our special page.
We are really pleased to announce that the Living by Giving Trust has been able to facilitate the donation of a hot tub for Millie, and are very grateful to HotSpring World for their donation. Thank you to Terri Betts for organising and coordinating this. The Trust have worked with Millie and her family for a number of years, and are so pleased that the hot tub is already giving Millie such relief from her constant pain. You can still help us support Millie, by reading more here or donating here.
For more on this story, please read the press release below.
Press Release:
HotSpring World delighted Millie’s hot tub is a resounding success
After receiving a letter from the Living by Giving Trust , a Trust designed to enhance the living qualities of the less fortunate, HotSpring World has donated one of their products to a little girl with a big heart.
Millie is nine years old and is from Milton Keynes. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). A genetic condition, MLD is extremely rare. It is thought only one in 40,000 people are afflicted with it. It affects nerves, muscles, organs and even behaviour. The life expectancy of MLD sufferers ranges between 10 and 15 years of age.
Living by Giving’s current project is ‘Young People New Experiences’. In Millie’s case, the charity’s aim was to give her an opportunity to live comfortably, without the constant pain that is a symptom of the condition.
In the months before the appeal to HotSpring World, Millie’s parents took her to a hydrotherapy centre near their home. The results were amazing. Having seemingly lost the ability to smile, once in the water her beautiful grin had returned to her face. The feeling of weightlessness that the hot tub provided gave Millie a welcome respite from the constant discomfort she felt being strapped into a wheelchair. In order to give Millie this enjoyment on a day to day basis, Living by Giving acted and HotSpring World responded.
The story doesn’t end there, either. The hot tub Millie received was initially put up as a prize in a competition they were running with a publication called What Pool & Hot Tub. The winner, a lady named Hayley Turner, was not able to claim her prize. Hayley has a daughter herself that suffers from cerebral palsy, and has seen the wonders hydrotherapy can do. After hearing of the appeal, Hayley was adamant she wanted the hot tub to be donated to Millie. She went on to say ‘I think it’s great that this charity are seeking help for someone that really needs and deserves it’
Millie’s story has touched so many people along the way. The chairman of the Living by Giving Trust, Matt Betts said: ‘We were really pleased to be able to facilitate the donation of a hot tub for Millie, and are very grateful to HotSpring World for their donation. The Trust have worked with Millie and her family for a number of years, and are so pleased that the hot tub is already giving Millie such relief from her constant pain.’
This is a sentiment that was echoed by HotSpring World. Lynda Smart stated ‘we are absolutely delighted to help Millie in her long battle against MLD. Knowing the benefits hydrotherapy has on conditions such as Millie’s, we are proud to have contributed such a worthwhile asset to her life.
‘Hearing the struggles she has to go through on a daily basis, and the efforts her parents and carers go to in order to ensure she is as comfortable as possible, we hope that this hot tub will make all of their lives a little easier.