Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust is thrilled to announce that we have been selected as one of the four beneficiaries by West Country Estate Agent - Stags, in their charitable initiatives for this year.
 
In honour of Stags’ 150th anniversary, the firm is embarking on a fundraising journey to support 4 charities throughout the South West. A series of exciting and ambitious events will be hosted by the staff from all 22 Stags offices, aiming to collect a grand total of £50,000! The planned activities include an extensive 420-mile bike tour linking each office and a delightful 'Great Stags Bake Off' competition.
 
This significant fundraising effort will directly benefit cancer patients and their families in the region, with every contribution supporting the vital work of Ducks & Drakes in Dorset, alongside SURE in Somerset, FORCE in Devon, and the Tanya’s Courage Trust in Cornwall.
 
Find out more here - https://www.stags.co.uk/articles/advising-the-west-country-for-150-years
 
Support Stags Fundraising on GoFundMe - https://gofund.me/ecf56e73

From the picturesque shores of Dorset to the rugged coastlines of Scotland, Will Blight, a fervent cyclist from Melcombe Bingham, embarked on an ambitious voyage! This wasn't just any journey but a mammoth 4,913-mile cycle on his trusty Brompton cycle, all around the coasts of England, Wales, and Scotland. And if that wasn't enthralling enough, Will added a twist: a mission to visit as many coastal castles as he could, even venturing inland when the spirit moved him.
 
Setting out on 26th March, Will's pedal-powered expedition spanned 215 intense days, culminating on 26th October at the historic Military Keep in Dorchester. But the essence of this adventure was more than just the thrill of the journey. It was about making a difference. Will dedicated his journey to the noble cause of Ducks & Drakes, raising a whopping £4,929 for the charity.
 
The journey's climax was a heartwarming celebration at the Fox Inn, Ansty, where a further £560 was raised in honour of Will's awe-inspiring feat.
 
Reliving the poignant moment of his arrival, Will exclaimed, “I was back in the same place that seven months to the day, I had left! There was a jubilant cheer and I proudly raised my top hat as I pedalled the final stretch. My heart swelled with gratitude for everyone present, especially those from Ducks & Drakes, the Steampunks, and even those who had journeyed from afar. The fatigue hit me suddenly, but the overwhelming support made every mile worth it. A heartfelt thank you to every soul who backed me on this monumental endeavour.”
 
Touched by Will’s unparalleled dedication, Nettie Drake, co-founder of the Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust, shared, “It's hard to put into words the magnitude of Will’s challenge. Our hearts brim with gratitude. A special mention to The Fox Inn, Ansty, for being the backdrop of the return celebration and their generous contribution. Every penny raised will help us continue to support young bowel cancer patients and Dorset-based cancer organisations.”
 
Today, as the tale of Will Bligh's coastal castle quest echoes far and wide, it stands as a testament to human spirit, endurance, and the difference one can make with passion and determination.
Read more about his adventures here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087797961234
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Will Blight is taking on a huge challenge to raise funds for Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust. Please sponsor him via his JustGiving page

"My name is Will Blight and I live in Melcombe Bingham, in Dorset. This year I'm going to cycle, unsupported, around the entire coast of England, Wales and Scotland (including many of the Scottish Islands) all in aid of Ducks & Drakes. 
And I've given myself the task of visiting as many castles as I can on the coast (plus inland to a degree at my discretion), to make it more interesting!

I'm calling it: Coast and Castles Cycle for Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust - this is also the name of the Facebook Page I have set up.

For those that don't know, Ducks & Drakes is a Cancer trust here in Dorset, run by volunteers, that supports youths diagnosed with bowel cancer and are going through difficult times. They could not help without the generosity of fundraisers and their supporters.

Though a long time ago now, I have done this sort of trip before - twice! In 2004 and 2006 I went clockwise and anticlockwise respectively. Going to all the RNLI Lifeboat Stations in the UK, on that second trip, was a challenge and a half! As I have discovered, my bike and trailer combination gets noticed a lot, because it is rather unusual.

I'm planning to leave on 26th March and my official send-off will probably be in Dorchester. I just need to confirm a few things first."

Thank you Will for your support!!

Doug Forsyth has raised over £600 for Ducks & Drakes with his sponsored beard shave! 

Thank you Doug for your support of the Trust. 

You can donate to his fundraiser here

​The Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust has donated £3,000 to Dorset County Hospital’s Fortuneswell Ward to fund additional facilities for each of the five single side rooms on the ward.

Jane Weeden and Richard Drake met with members of staff from Fortuneswell Ward on 7 December to present their cheque for £3,000 and discuss the project further. Simon Leaton, the Fortuneswell ward clerk, had originally proposed the improvements to the ward’s single rooms to Ducks and Drakes. The new equipment will also make these rooms more suitable to be used as end-of-life suites if needed. The proposal was for the funding of additional features including TV monitors with integrated capability to play music, videos and other sounds and lighting visuals. Family and friends of patients using the rooms would also be able to bring in their own photos and music on USB sticks.
Younger patients would be able to use the screens to connect to games consoles if they wished. In addition, the donation has funded portable DVD players, DAB radios and DVDs to be used alongside the new equipment.

Jane Weeden from the Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust said,
“We are so pleased to donate this money to the Fortuneswell Ward, which does such a fantastic job in looking after local cancer patients. We hope that funding the technology to allow patients and their families to enjoy family photos, music, games and videos will make a small but positive and comforting difference during extremely challenging times.”

Simon Pearson, Head of Charity and Social Value at Dorset County Hospital said,
“This is an incredibly generous donation from the Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust which will make a real difference to the patients who use these rooms and also to their families. In particular it will enable patients to enjoy the photos, sights and sounds that have special significance for them.”

Simon Leaton said,
“We are a dedicated team on Fortuneswell ward who are always looking for ways to improve the environment for our patients. We really appreciate this help which will mean a lot to anyone using those rooms at what can be a very difficult time.”
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The Fortuneswell Ward cares specifically for patients with cancer and malignant haematology disease. For more information about the work of DCH Charity please visit www.dchcharity.org.uk or email charity@dchft.nhs.uk

John Calway from Dorchester, was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer a year ago, aged 42. The cancer is now Stage 4 with spread to his lungs, it is sadly incurable.
 
A few months ago, John decided to book a Wing Walk to raise funds for Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust, having previously raised funds for the charity at a local gig that John and his wife, Sarah were involved with.
 
Finally, over a year after booking the wing walk and after a rollercoaster of ups and downs with the cancer and various treatments, John got on the plane.
 
“It had previously been cancelled due to the plane breaking, which didn’t fill us with confidence, so we were pleased to arrive on the day and see that the plane appeared to be in full working order! The weather wasn’t great, we arrived at the airfield in rain and lots of cloud so it was doubtful whether it would go ahead. There was lots of waiting around, which allowed extra time for John’s nerves to build. He doesn’t like flying at the best of times, so this took an enormous amount of grit and determination. I think the worst bit was when he was going down the runway preparing for take-off and again when he was landing. He also hadn’t been prepared for quite how cold and windy it was going to be up there!” says his wife, Sarah.
 
“He was delighted to have done it, said it was an amazing experience, slightly daunting but exciting and for a great cause.”
 
So far, his JustGiving page has raised over £4,000 and you can still donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/john-calway
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What an incredible DUCKFEST22!! Thanks to all our fantastic supporters, sponsors, stallholders, bands and tireless volunteers, we raised £14,017!!!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
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This funding will go towards supporting young bowel cancer patients in Dorset.
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#DUCKFEST22

BIG THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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We received this lovely message of thanks from Sarah Balchin at Weldmar Hospice Care, which we wanted to share as without you we couldn't support such a great cause!

"Firstly, I would like to thank you and all the team at Ducks and Drakes for all the extremely generous support we have received over several years and particularly the £10,000 donation earlier this year for vital medical equipment needed in the IPU.
 
Your support, once again has meant we could order new equipment which is needed  and I can confirm that all the equipment has now been ordered and most has been delivered.
We have had various delays in obtaining the necessary equipment with supply being the biggest but we have fingers crossed the last piece will be with us very soon.
 
We just wanted to update and thank you again for all your support. We really do appreciate all you do to support us."

FEELING  BETTER
with
Abbigail Langstone- Wring. BSc
FETC  MAR  DHom  CSCT  MFHT  MCThA
 
www.dorsetclinicalreflexology.co.uk
I am fully vaccinated and my practice covid secure to offer treatments including Vega/Homoeopathic follow- up  appointments for existing patients and to accept referrals. Specialising in Clinical Reflexology for cancer patients.
 
No age limits to festival fun
I can’t believe it has taken me to reach the ripe old age of 60 + to experience the wonderful atmosphere of a music festival. The attached photo shows the Dorset County Hospital Clinical   Reflexology team enjoying a “breather” at Duckfest 2022. This annual Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust fundraising event is a well organised and fantastic family friendly event held over 2 days at Hinton Farm Charminster (5/6 Aug).
 
We arrived and set up our gazebo and began booking people in for taster sessions of                   reflexology over the two days. From children to young people and adults, those that were                     reflexology devotees and those that had never experienced reflexology before. So impressed were they all with their experience that an amazing amount of purple -coloured donations were popped into the collection tubs.
 
For those of you that may not have come across this local charity a little background.
Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust is based in Dorset and was founded by Andrew Drake and his family following the bowel cancer diagnosis of Andrew aged 24.  Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust was registered with the Charity Commission in 2012, No: 1147024. The Trust was founded to:

• Create awareness of bowel cancer in young people, aged 18 to 30 in Dorset and the UK
• To support bowel cancer patients and their families through the provision of specialist equipment and financial aid
• To fund specialist nurses in Dorset County Hospital, specifically in the Colorectal    Department and provide financial support for equipment and the new cancer unit at the hospital.

 
The Ducks and Drakes Cancer Trust donated 5,000 last year (2021) and a further £5,00 in Aug this year 2022 to the Fortuneswell Cancer Trust ringfenced for the Clinical Reflexology Service we provide at Dorset County Hospital. I set up this unique service model in 2014 it now operates with a team of three exceptional therapists five days a week. Cancer patients are referred by clinical staff or can self-refer to us from the Fortuneswell ward, chemotherapy unit and Robert White radiotherapy            centre at Dorset County Hospital. The service aim being to help patients cope with anxiety and the side effects of cancer treatments. Over 8,000 patient feedback data identified patient concerns of  Anxiety, Pain, Swelling, Nausea, Fatigue, Breathing, Peripheral Neuropathy and Sleeplessness  decreased in severity following Clinical Reflexology treatment.  These results provide evidence of the therapeutic and beneficial effect of Clinical Reflexology supported by evidence of the safety and  efficacy of the treatment we provide. 
  
Will I attend this festival again ?    Of course………..I have already committed myself to next years  Duckfest. Proving that you are never too old to try something new !  So if any of my readers visit this wonderful event in 2023 please come and see me, experience Clinical Reflexology and put a                donation in the pot so this much needed charity may continue it’s worthwhile work.
 
Contact  Tel 01305 784986.   abigailwring@btinternet.com    www.dorsetclinicalreflexology.co.uk         
Abbigail is fully qualified, insured and DBS checked with over 30yrs professional experience specializing in Clinical Reflexology, Nutrition, Homoeopathy and Counselling. Author of “Holistic Health Tips” available from Buena Vista Gypsy Lane Weymouth Dorset DT4 0BZ. £9.00.inc p&p
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