The Ely Standard
HOH Campaign
IN February 2006, the Ely Standard launched its Help Our Hospice campaign to raise funds for terminally ill youngsters and increase awareness of the funding difficulties facing children's' hospices. The Milton Children's Hospice is in Ely's patch and is one of three children's' hospices in East Anglia that provides expert care for terminally ill youngsters.
The Ely Standard's campaign centred on the fact that children's' hospices only receive between eight and 10 per cent of their funding from central government - the rest comes from fund-raising and public donation.
Readers were asked to sign a petition to highlight the lack of funding and later this was sent, with 3,000 signatures, to 10 Downing Street. Readers responded in magnificent fashion with all kinds of weird and wacky fund-raising schemes, and in mid-July of the same year, The Ely Standard was able to announce that they had raised £50,000 for the charity. In fact, within days of the launch readers had donated hundreds of pounds at their Ely office. A project to recycle old mobile phones was also launched to raise money for the charity and this is still running as it has been so popular.
The final amount handed over to the charity was in the region of £80,000 which is an incredible achievement for a small local newspaper and highlights the goodwill and generosity that exists in the local community.
Liam Fairhurst
Liam's Fund
IN March of 2007, the Ely Standard launched Liam's Fund. Liam Fairhurst, a 12-year-old schoolboy from Ely's neighbouring town of Soham, had been diagnosed with cancer and was raising money for the children's cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.
The Ely Standard offered its support to publicise fund-raising events as well as organising some of its own events. A few weeks into the campaign, Liam and his family received the devastating news that the cancer, which had already threatened Liam's young life, had returned. At this point, the fund-raising total stood at £90,000, but within weeks of the Ely Standard involving its readers, it hit the £100,000 mark. To date, the Ely Standard campaign has raised in the region of £50,000, but Liam's courageous efforts meant that more than £300,000 was raised for the charity.
Liam's prolific fund-raising efforts won him widespread praise and recognition. He received a Diana Award for his fund-raising achievements, met Prime Minister Gordon Brown who was impressed with his courage and determination and he also won a Pride of Britain Award.
Liam even received a mention during the Labour party conference in October 2008 when Gordon Brown remarked on the youngster's inspirational fund-raising efforts, before announcing his intention to allocate millions of pounds to Cancer Research.
Ely Standard readers and the wider public took Liam into their hearts. He was a truly inspirational character who impressed everyone he met. Everyone from the little old ladies who would bring bags of coins into the Ely Standard office to heads of business and prime minsters.
Sadly, Liam lost his battle with cancer in June 2009. Liam's mum, Sarah described him as a beacon of courage and hope and that best sums up this remarkable young man who gave of himself to freely and willingly. Liam's legacy lives on through the hearts and minds of all those who had the privilege of knowing him.
INFO: If you would like to make a donation to Clic Sargent contact the donation line on: 08453010031 or go to: www.clicsargent.org.uk for more information.
