UPDATE - Issue 26 - Summer 2006
Celebration scheme
While others choose cars or bikes for their 21st birthday gifts, Max Parfitt marked his coming of age differently. The Reading University student asked friends for donations in lieu of gifts.
Max chose to support Kit and Susie Hobday's Ignorance Isn't Bliss campaign after meeting the couple when he was selected for Kit's sailing academy for young, disadvantaged people.
'My father walked out when I was nine years old and my family has lived a very hand-to-mouth existence. As a result we have never been big on birthdays. Although everyone likes to receive surprise gifts, I decided I would prefer to give something on my birthday rather than receive it...'
And Max isn't the only one to have so generously asked for donations in lieu of gifts. Thank you also to Humphrey Burton, Stan Chicksand, Bernard Edmunds and Stanley Clayman for their kind donations in lieu of birthday gifts. Thanks also go to Mr and Mrs Starr who have collected donations from their friends in celebration of their golden wedding anniversary.
If you would like to ask your friends to donate money to the charity in lieu of gifts for a celebration (birthday, christening, anniversary or other) please contact the fundraising team for further information and a specially designed certificate.
(On a wet Sunday morning in May, Bernard Edmunds, his son Richard and personal trainer Kim completed the BUPA 10km run in Manchester and have raised around £1,500 towards Prostate Research Campaign UK. Muriel Hamer and Rex Willoughby (not pictured) also completed the event.)