Latest t day news

TIME FOR T

Lighter evenings, sunnier days and imminent bank holiday weekends can only mean one thing...it’s time to get your t-shirts out!

The Gloucestershire t day appeal – which sees school children, workers and volunteers from across the county don their t-shirts for charity – is back for 2010.

Taking place on Friday 7 May, the event will once again raise money for the Gloucestershire-based organisations that it was set up to benefit - The National Star College, The Spring Centre and the Have a Heart appeal. All three charities provide much-needed assistance to children and young people with disabilities.

While most people choose to support the appeal by paying £1 to wear a t-shirt for the day, there are many other ways that funds can be raised, from tea parties and three-legged races to tombolas. Alternatively anyone unable to participate in t day can simply make a donation.

Alongside these activities there is also an online auction of signed sporting and celebrity memorabilia, which will be launched on Friday 7 May. In recent years the auction has featured highly-desirable items such as rugby balls autographed by the Gloucester Rugby team, football shirts signed by Premiership stars and books annotated by local celebrities.

Commenting on the launch of this year’s appeal, t day Chairman, Darren Stevens said: “I can’t quite believe that this will be the 12th t day we have run, since we started the appeal back in 1998. Over the years, tens of thousands of pounds have been donated to the initiative. When I think about all the children and young people in Gloucestershire that money will have benefitted it makes me very proud.”

“I really hope individuals and businesses in the county will continue to help make t day a success by taking part again this year.”

Star items up for grabs in charity auction

Sports fans, TV enthusiasts, and music lovers across the county will be going head-to-head in a charity auction of items signed by a host of different celebrities. The online auction – which closes at 5pm on Friday 8 May – is an annual event run in aid of the Gloucestershire t day appeal; an initiative that raises money for three county charities.

Drive Time presenter, Chris Kaye, helped launch the auction from the Heart 102.4 studios in the centre of Gloucester.

The auction includes items such as signed Gloucester Rugby merchandise, signed international rugby shirts, a signed Cheltenham Town FC shirt and ball, a Gold Golfing package at Tewkesbury Park Hotel, a signed Gloucestershire County Cricket bat, plus signed shirts and items donated by sports stars Sharron Davies and A P McCoy; comedians Russell Brand, Dom Joly, and Al Murray; as well as stage and screen stars Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Peter Gabriel, and Michael Crawford.

Commenting on the t day auction, Chairman of the t day appeal, Darren Stevens said: “Winning a star item in the auction is the ultimate feel-good purchase. People get to take away an individual piece of memorabilia while also knowing that every penny of the money they bid will directly benefit disabled children and young people across Gloucestershire.”

What will you be wearing on 8 May?

GLOUCESTERSHIRE residents are being encouraged to ditch their suits, forget their stilettos and pull on a t-shirt for charity, as Gloucestershire t day makes its 2009 return.

England and Gloucester Rugby star Luke Narraway is officially launching this year’s appeal, which takes place on Friday 8 May.  T day invites Gloucestershire schools, companies and organisations to donate £1 and dress down at work to help raise money for three county charities.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the county’s only dress down day and every penny raised will go towards three Gloucestershire-based charities who work with children and young people with disabilities – the National Star College, Spring Centre and the Have a Heart Appeal (formerly the Severn Sound Money Mountain Appeal).

To help raise more vital funds to support the work of the three charities, t day will also be launching its annual online auction, where past prizes include signed Premiership football shirts, signed England rugby memorabilia and photos signed by British film stars.

Darren Stevens, chairman of the t day Appeal, said: ‘t day is a fantastic event that has already raised thousands of pounds for Gloucestershire charities since it first launched in 1998.  Charities are finding it harder than ever to raise essential funds to ensure they are able to continue providing the brilliant work they do, so t day is a great way to raise even more money. ‘We hope this year will be bigger and better than ever, and that the people of Gloucestershire show their support once again and don t-shirts for three great causes.’

The 2009 appeal is supported by Chelsea Building Society, Target, Cheltenham Town Football Club, Blue Sheep, Heart 102.4, The Royal Oak Prestbury and BPE Solicitors.

Gloucestershire t day makes four new signings!

Despite the deadline for the “transfer window”* coming to an end, t day, the only Gloucestershire dress down day has “signed up” four new volunteer committee members.

Mark Higgins (Chelsea Building Society), Kate Daws (The Royal Oak, Prestbury), Frances Knight (BPE) and Pippa Clark (Target PR) have all signed up to boost the committee and build on the success that t day has already achieved.

On Friday 8th May this year, thousands of local employees and school children will wear a t shirt to work or school raising much needed funds for three charities that help disabled children and young people in Gloucestershire. The Spring Centre in Gloucester, the Star College in Cheltenham and the Severn Sound Money Mountain will all benefit from the day. t day has already raised nearly £70,000 for disabled children and young people.

Chairman of t day, Darren Stevens commented on the new signings - “t day has achieved some excellent results thanks to a fantastic group of committee members. But we recognise that to take things to the next level and really make t day something that is one of Gloucestershire’s premier events, we needed to strengthen the committee. I am delighted that we have been able to recruit new committee members of the calibre of Mark, Kate, Frances and Pippa. They are already bursting with ideas of how we can make t day even stronger”.

The four new committee members will join the existing committee, which has representatives of the three charities, Chelsea Building Society, Blue Sheep, Cheltenham Town Football Club and a number of freelance committee members. The new committee members are:

Frances Knight
Frances Knight is a Marketing Executive at BPE Solicitors. She joined the Cheltenham-based firm in 2006 after embarking on her career at a top 20 UK legal practice in London. Her decision to join the t day committee stems from wanting to play a more active role in fundraising, in particular for the National Star College – a charity which has been supported by BPE for the past few years and which also benefits from the t day appeal. 
During her free time Fran enjoys playing netball and, unsurprisingly for a young woman, shopping!

Pippa Clark
After working in the Gloucestershire Constabulary press office, Pippa joined Target, the integrated marketing communications group, as a PR Account Executive, working on clients such as Specsavers and British Equestrian Federation.  She is a volunteer with the Cheltenham Volunteering Centre, where she helps to promote various causes throughout the county, including Gloucestershire t day.

Kate Daws
Kate has spent the last 9 years building the business at The Royal Oak, in Prestbury, with her husband Simon.  Having initially spent time creating charity quiz nights at the pub more recent years have seen Kate partake in mini triathlons, numerous Race(s) for Life and other fundraising works centred round a local playgroup.  Getting involved with t day is a great opportunity to focus both Kate and The Royal Oak on such worthwhile local causes.

Mark Higgins
Mark has spent the last 8 years at Chelsea Building Society and is Head of People Development; prior to that Mark spent 23 years in the RAF. Mark is a keen follower of, and participant in, sport in general and is a passionate supporter of Gloucester Rugby club. Although Mark is a frequent supporter of charities and charitable events, he decided it was time for him to take a more participative approach directing his energies through t day.

T Day 2009 date announced

T Day 2008 to be launched

Organisers of Gloucestershire t day are launching the 2008 appeal with super hero photocalls this Wednesday 2 April at two of the three charities that help disabled children and young people in the county who benefit from t day. The super hero appearance reflects the “superman” theme of this year’s appeal brochure which emphasises the super human results that can be achieved by just dressing down on t day, which this year is Friday 9 May.

The t day committee members are hoping to beat last year’s efforts, in which an amazing £9,000 was raised, matching a record amount raised the previous year.

Dressing down and paying £1 to wear a t shirt for the day  is just one of the ways people can support the appeal, alternatively individuals or organisations can hold their own fundraising event or simply make a donation. You can visit the t day website to find out how to take part and for other fundraising ideas. The t day committee is also repeating its highly successful online auction of signed t shirts and memorabilia, which will go live on the t day website – www.tday.co.uk – on 18 April. The auction has a number of sought after items including a cricket bat signed by Jack Russell, a book signed by Richard Hammond and a t shirt signed by Sir Trevor Brooking, with many more items to follow.

Chairman of the t day Appeal, Darren Stevens commented: “Last year we had brilliant support for t day from all over Gloucestershire, from businesses including Chelsea Building Society to organisations like Gloucestershire County Council and even schools; Gloucester’s Calton Road Junior School & Playgroup took part. We hope that new individuals and organisations will join our regular supporters this year by making our eleventh the best yet."

Every pound of the money raised goes directly to the three Gloucestershire-based charities that support children and young people with disabilities. These charities are:
The Spring Centre – an independent charity providing a wide range of services for children up to 16 years of age.
National Star College - a specialist residential college for young people with physical disabilities or acquired brain injuries.
Gloucestershire’s Severn Sound Money Mountain - a charity that raises funds for local charities and non profit making groups.

The first photocall will be held at the National Star College, Ullenwood, Cheltenham at 1pm, followed by a second photocall at the Spring Centre, Gloucester at approximately 2pm.

For more information on the Gloucestershire t day appeal or if you or your company would like to register for t day 2008 please visit www.tday.co.uk and fill in the online Application Form.

Stars support local charity

The t day online auction of celebrity memorabilia includes a number of highly sought after items including a Gloucester Rugby shirt signed by the first team, a signed CD by Elton John, a t-shirt signed by the group Coldplay, a t-shirt signed by Lenny Henry, a cricket bat signed by ex-Gloucestershire and England wicketkeeper Jack Russell and also some of the Gloucester International players have signed an England rugby shirt, along with many, many other items.

So far a total of £380.00 has been bid online for the auction items, with over 30 different bids placed. Even though t day supports charities in the county, the bids are coming in from as far afield as Surrey and London. The auction closes at 5pm on Friday 11 May, so it’s not too late to place a bid, take a look for yourself by visiting www.tday.co.uk
This is just one of the ways people can support the appeal, alternatively individuals or organisations can pay £1 to wear a t-shirt or dress down (or up) for on t day - Friday 11 May. Or you could hold your own fundraising event or simply make a donation. You can visit the t day website to find out how to take part and for other fundraising ideas.
Chairman of the t day Appeal, Darren Stevens commented: “Last year the T shirt auction raised over £1,500, making an important contribution to our record total of £9,000 raised for disabled children in the County. This year, to mark our 10th anniversary, we have set ourselves a target of £15,000. Whether by bidding for an auction item, making a donation or dressing down on 11th May we would love more people to take part and help us reach our total”
Every pound of the money raised goes directly to the three Gloucestershire-based charities that support children and young people with disabilities. These charities are:

The Spring Centre – an independent charity providing a wide range of services for children up to 16 years of age.
National Star College - a specialist residential college for young people with physical disabilities or acquired brain injuries.
Gloucestershire’s Severn Sound Money Mountain - a charity that raises funds for local charities and non profit making groups.
For more information on the Gloucestershire t day appeal or if you or your company would like to register for t day 2007 please visit www.tday.co.uk and fill in the online Application Form.

Rickerbys supports Neolithic Running and t day

On Sunday, Ailsa Sanders, Senior Marketing Executive at Rickerbys will be running her first marathon, the Neolithic, in Wiltshire to raise money for the Gloucestershire t day Appeal.

Over 300 hundred runners will run the 26 mile route across undulating Wiltshire countryside with stunning views across the valley. The route which starts at Avebury and finishes at Stonehenge, is a mix of grassland tracks and roads and also goes across Salisbury Plain training area, which could be quite rough terrain.
This unique route links two of the UK's World Heritage sites - the ancient stone circle of Avebury and the world famous Stonehenge.

Ailsa, who has been training for the marathon since October, is a member of Stroud Athletics Club and has recently run in a national road race competition with top athletes from across the country.

Having completed five half marathons, she was ready for something different. “After six months of training, I really can’t wait until Sunday, I think it will be a once in a lifetime achievement,” said Ailsa.

The money she is raising for t day will give her extra encouragement to get her round the difficult course. Her target is to raise £300.00 for
t day, which has reached its tenth year of fundraising for children and young people in the county with disabilities. T day is on Friday 11 May, for more information please visit www.tday.co.uk. Or if you would like to sponsor Ailsa, please visit www.justgiving.co.uk/AilsaSanders or call 01242 246442.

Celebrity signed t-shirts help boost t day

The committee members are hoping to thrash last year’s efforts, in which an amazing £9,000 was raised, by asking the public to help support their online auction of celebrity memorabilia. People can bid for celebrity signed t-shirts or items on the appeal’s website - please visit www.tday.co.uk

The auction, which goes live this week, is a great way to help raise money for the t day Appeal with very little effort either by bidding for items yourself or by passing the word around to your friends or work colleagues who may be a fan of a particular celebrity or sporting hero. The auction has a number of sought after items including a signed CD by Elton John, a t-shirt signed by the group Coldplay and also the following Gloucester International players have signed an England rugby shirt - Mike Tindall, Ian Balshaw, Peter Richards, Ryan Lamb and Antony Allen, along with many other items.

This is just one of the ways people can support the appeal, alternatively individuals or organisations can pay £1 to wear a t-shirt or dress down for the day on t day’s main fundraising day, on Friday 11 May. Or you could hold your own fundraising event or simply make a donation. You can visit the t day website to find out how to take part and for other fundraising ideas.

Chairman of the t day Appeal, Darren Stevens commented: “Last year we had brilliant support for t day from all over Gloucestershire, from businesses including Cheltenham based Rickerbys Solicitors to organisations like Stroud District Council and even schools; Gloucester’s Calton Road Junior School & Playgroup took part. We hope that new individuals and organisations will join our regular supporters this year by making our tenth anniversary the best year yet.”

Every pound of the money raised goes directly to the three Gloucestershire-based charities that support children and young people with disabilities. These charities are:
The Spring Centre – an independent charity providing a wide range of services for children up to 16 years of age.
National Star College - a specialist residential college for young people with physical disabilities or acquired brain injuries.
Gloucestershire’s Severn Sound Money Mountain - a charity that raises funds for local charities and non profit making groups.
For more information on the Gloucestershire t day appeal or if you or your company would like to register for t day 2007 please visit www.tday.co.uk and fill in the online Application Form.

Gloucestershire t day scores a £3,000 charity goal with Cheltenham Town FC

Gloucestershire t day appeal is one of three local charities that received a total of five thousand pounds from Cheltenham Town FC at their home game v Swansea on Saturday 3 February.

Every year the club receives a percentage of the gate receipts from the FA Community Shield Final. Funds are divided between each of the 124 clubs that participated from the First Round Proper of The FA Cup last season. Each club is asked to nominate a local charity/charities or community based initiative to receive its share of the fund.

Ailsa Sanders, a t day committee member, was at the football club on Saturday to collect the cheque, along with representatives from the charities that benefit from t day - The National Star College, The Spring Centre and Severn Sound Money Mountain. She commented, "We would like to say a big thank you to Cheltenham Town FC for their generous donation and for nominating t day to receive the donation in the first place. This is the first time we have received a donation as a result of being nominated, aside from money collected on t day's main fundraising day in May every year. If anyone else would like to make a donation to t day , it is a great way to support local charities that help young people in your area."

t day is Gloucestershire's only dress down day that raises vital funds to help disabled young people. Each year thousands of people across the county pay a pound to wear a t-shirt or casual clothing to work, school or even at home!

This year t day is on Friday 11th May when everyone taking part will help to make this day a special event and raise a target of £15,000.