Derwen College Charity

Derwen College students stride to success

4th September 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College students Tom and William were keen to thank everyone who walked, supported and donated to make the college’s first virtual challenge a resounding success.

Students and staff at Derwen College, in Shropshire, have been celebrating the success of their first ever virtual Derwen fundraising challenge, which has raised more than £6,000 for the college.

The specialist further education college, near Oswestry, saw teams of six take on the challenge of walking or running 874 miles during the month of August in the college’s Land’s End to John O’ Groats (LEJOG) Virtual Charity Challenge.

Retail student Tom and his family completed 874 miles in August.

Each Derwen team had to complete the miles by working together. With each person walking at least five miles every day throughout August to stand a chance of completing the virtual challenge.

Derwen College Fundraiser Anna Evans said: “Walking five miles every day, for 30 days was a real challenge for many of us. It meant you had to keep up the pace continuously otherwise you were dangerously behind.

“I, for one, missed a few days of walking due to rain and bad weather. Before I knew it, I had 20 miles of walking to catch up on. It was quite a challenge in the end to complete the mileage. But because you are part of a team, you don’t want to let anyone down. On the last day of the challenge, I walked over 18 miles. I still have the blisters to prove it!”

Two students and their families also took part raising more than £3,000 between them. Tom Alexander and William Chapple took to walking, running and cycling around their local areas. Tom from Hanwell, London, discovered many new walks and pathways in London. He kept everyone at college updated with lots of photos and descriptions of his outings.

William and his mother, from Stowmarket, Suffolk, did lots of walking, running and cycling. They have said they really enjoyed getting fitter.

Importance of fundraising

In all, five teams signed up to this new event which was organised to recoup some of the fundraising losses faced by the college because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fundraising events such as Derwen College annual sponsored walk were cancelled. This resulted in fundraising losses of about £50,000.

Derwen College Charity LEJOG challenge — Student William walked, ran and cycled throughout August.

All donations from this event will go towards the Agnes Hunt Village project to refurbish and renovate the Agnes Hunt Village bungalows. These are used by students to learn and develop their independent living skills. Both Tom and William live in the Agnes Hunt Village when they are at Derwen College.

Tom said: “Thank you to everyone who took part in the LEJOG Challenge throughout August. Well done, job done and dusted! Thank you to everyone who took part and got involved in this amazing incredible journey throughout August.”

There is still time to support the students and staff fundraising efforts in completing Derwen LEJOG. Every single penny helps, so please sponsor them here.

874-mile walk in aid of Derwen Charity

31st July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Intrepid teams of Derwen College Charity students, staff and supporters have signed up to a virtual walk which covers the length of Britain in just one month.

Teams of six are walking 874 miles in 31 days. That’s an average of five miles every day throughout August for every participant. Walkers are taking on the challenge to raise money to support students at Derwen College.

Each walker will be logging individual walks every day to make up the distance from Land’s End to John 0’Groats (LEJOG).

So far four teams of six are taking on the challenge to walk and raise funds to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at the Gobowen college. The funds help finance their learning, work placements and independence skills. And it’s not too late for anyone else keen for a summer charity challenge to join #DerwenLEJOG! Just email fundraiser Anna at [email protected]

Some of the teams are students and their families, keen to do their bit to support Derwen College Charity while keeping fit over the summer months.

Fundraiser Anna and daughter Gweni made it to the top of Oswestry Hillfort as part of the Derwen LEJOG Challenge.

Many of the walkers joined after a planned Snowdon charity challenge was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The charity has also suffered losses from the cancellation of its top fundraising events, the annual Sponsored Walk and Summer Fete.

Derwen College fundraiser Anna Evans is taking part, and is keen for supporters to join in the challenge or back walkers by making a donation.

She said: “Like most charities, we have felt the impact of the pandemic with a huge loss of funds in 2020. Sadly, we have had to cancel our main fundraising events. We estimate that we have lost more than £50,000 in donations this year.

“I am over the moon that students, staff and other supporters have agreed to take on this difficult challenge to help recoup some of our losses. With the backing of sponsors, we believe the blisters will be worth the effort.”

You can make a donation to Derwen College Charity LEJOG walkers here.
To find out more about entering a team or joining an existing team, email [email protected]

Teresa takes on sponsored slim

17th July 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College Teresa Richards sponsored slim Station Cafe — Teresa plans to lose four stones through healthy eating and exercise.

A Derwen College teacher is determined to lose more than four stones in a charity weight loss challenge, despite being surrounded by delicious home-made food and cakes in her daily job.

Teresa Richards works at the specialist further education college, near Oswestry. She is best known for supervising students in their work placements at Gobowen’s popular Station Café – which is temporarily closed. She is embarking on a sponsored slim to raise funds for Derwen College Charity. Money raised will go towards providing vital experiences, equipment and independence for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Teresa wants to become fitter for her own health, but is keen for supporters to encourage her in her endeavours. She hopes to raise £500 and even to recruit other slimmers who may want to shed a few extra lock-down pounds.

Teresa, from Oswestry, wants to lose four stones over the next 12-18 months through healthy eating and exercise. Her biggest weaknesses, she says, are chocolate, sweets and wine with friends. Being surrounded by the tempting home-made food that she makes in the Station Café and college Food Centre and bakery, make the challenge even more difficult.

She says: “I have been fighting with my weight for most of my life. My joints are failing and even doing the slightest physical activity has become challenging. My main focus is on my weight loss journey but I would love to see how much money I can raise for such a great charity which helps the fantastic students I work with in so many ways.

“I would to love to inspire others to make a donation towards Derwen College Charity. Or even to join me on this challenge if they want to lose weight and get healthy.”

Teresa Richards Derwen College Station Cafe — Teresa is a familiar friendly face at Gobowen’s much-loved Station Cafe.

High Sheriff Community Award

Teresa is a familiar face to many commuters and the Gobowen community. Last year she won a High Sheriff of Shropshire community award for her tireless work and continued commitment to the popular Gobowen Station Café.

She continues: “I am lucky to know many lovely people through the Station Café. Customers helped me to raise £300 for our annual sponsored walk two years ago. I hope they might support me again as the college’s usual fundraising events have been cancelled for 2020. I can’t wait to see all our customers again soon when we are able to safely reopen.”

You can follow Teresa’s weight-loss journey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/troser64/ or support her efforts by donating at https://www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/teresa

There are many other ways to support Derwen College Charity, including a challenging Virtual John O’Groats to Land’s End team walk which takes place throughout August. Find out more here.

Olive leads the way for Derwen College Charity

3rd July 2020 by Eluned Watson

An Oswestry pensioner has stepped up to raise funds for Derwen College Charity after embarking on her own sponsored walk after the college’s official walk was cancelled.

Olive Morris, aged 76, has raised £250 for specialist Derwen College, in Gobowen, by completing a 10km from her home. The route passed Babbinswood, Middleton and Aston Hall.

Ms Morris, who has completed 51 official sponsored walks for the residential and day college for young adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), said she was determined to do her bit for the college.

“I had already raised a lot of money before the walk was cancelled because of the coronavirus. So, doing the walk on my own seemed the right thing to do,” she said.

Ms Morris started walking for Derwen College 52 years ago, and has taken part every year since.

She walked the 10km route on what would have been Derwen College Fete day, another charity event which unfortunately had to be cancelled.

“I’ve always enjoyed walking, and it has become a tradition that I enjoy. This year, was different with being on my own and taking a new route, but it was a lovely day to be out walking. I took some pictures around the route as proof I’d completed the 10km. I haven’t managed to raise as much as I usually do. I normally collect around £500, but it has been more difficult to see people.

“I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me. I always said I would retire from the walk when I got to 70 but as long as I’m fit enough, I plan to keep on going.”

Olive has kept herself fit by walking and gardening during lockdown, regularly attending to her garden and allotment. Although she says she has missed many of her evening social clubs which include dancing, whist and gardening clubs.

Derwen College fundraiser Anna Evans said she was delighted that Ms Morris had raised such a lot of money for the college, despite the walk being cancelled.

She said: “Olive Morris is an inspiration. We are so grateful that she used her imagination and continued to raise money for Derwen College Charity even when the official walk had to be called off. It’s a difficult time for charities; we have had to cancel big fundraisers including the Sponsored Walk and Run and Summer Fete. We estimate that we have lost a potential £50,000 worth of charity funds due to the coronavirus. We hope that others might take inspiration from Olive to find new ways to raise money which supports students with SEND in developing their learning and independence skills.”

Derwen College is busy planning alternative fundraising events including a challenging virtual walk for staff and student families in August. Find out more about supporting Derwen College Charity here or contact Anna Evans at [email protected] for more information or to share your fundraising ideas.

The walk must go on

12th June 2020 by Eluned Watson

Derwen College Charity sponsored walk — Carter and mum Pam walked 10km.

A Derwen College student and his family have raised more than £1500 for the college on a sponsored walk around their home village.

Student Carter Gough, who is a Hospitality and Housekeeping student at the specialist Shropshire college, took on the 10km challenge when the college’s charity sponsored walk was cancelled due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

Student Carter, his parents Pam and Lloyd, and his sister Madison decided to honour their commitment to the Derwen College Sponsored Walk by walking 10km around their home village in Worcestershire.

The family took on the walk on April 5th, starting at 11am which was the exact time that the original walk had been due to take place. The family were delighted to raise a phenomenal £1500 for Derwen College Charity.

Pam Gough said: “We had already gathered lots of sponsorship before the walk and before the government lockdown measures were put in place. But we wanted to honour the donations made by our friends and family. Also, the event was on the family calendar, and Carter was adamant it had to happen so we did the walk our way.

“We then posted pictures doing the walk on our Facebook page, and other friends and family decided to sponsor us too, therefore we raised even more money.”

This is Carter’s final year at college, and his friends and family were keen to support the college to show their appreciation of his progress.

“Many of our friends and family are aware of how important Derwen College has been for Carter,” said Mrs Gough.

Derwen College Charity sponsored walk 2020 — Dad Lloyd took a selfie of the family sponsored walk.

“The independence skills and confidence he has gained has been huge. We have gone from a young man who mainly communicated using sign language, pictures and very limited speech to now having conversations. It has been amazing. He is leaving college with real work and life skills, and we know he is capable of working independently.

“For Carter, being able to communicate his thoughts and feelings, and frustrations, has been vital. He can tell us how he feels and what he wants; it has made such a difference to his confidence. That is how much of a game changer Derwen College has been for Carter.”

Thank you to the Gough family

Fundraiser Anna Evans said:

“We are so grateful to Carter and his family for thinking about Derwen College during these very uncertain and worrying times. To have raised this amount for the college is wonderful, and we will be using this donation to boost our Agnes Hunt Village project appeal, which is still ongoing.

“We aim to refurbish and renovate our unique complex of bungalows at Derwen College which provide students just like Carter with the setting to learn how to live independently and to care for themselves. Carter himself has lived in the Agnes Hunt Village, and he knows just how important these facilities are for young adults with SEND. We thank the Gough family for their wonderful support.”

Derwen College Charity