Conservatory Outlet Blog » Conservatory Outlet | Charity Events | Make-A-Wish Appeal | Ride4Hope

Conservatory Outlet Increases Charity Efforts

Conservatory Outlet — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:27:20 +0000

Conservatory Outlet MD Matthew Glover has shown that he has no intention of slowing down his charity work by announcing the date for the next Cycle India fundraising event.

Cycle India 2012 – the third event of its kind following successful rides in both 2008 and 2010 – will take place between 31st December 2011 and 9th January 2012 in the south-western state of Kerala. The 2012 ride is being organised by Heal – Health and Education for All – a UK registered charity which provides shelter, education and healthcare for underprivileged children in India.

On top of being the Managing Director of the UK’s fastest growing network of conservatory dealers, Matthew is also Head of Fundraising for Heal UK and has been instrumental to the charity’s success since he became involved over 5 years ago. He is now calling upon his industry peers to join him on the +200 mile bike ride: ‘we’re looking for around 30-40 participants from the UK, and I’d love to see the window industry have a strong presence within this group,’ said Matthew.

‘Heal’s aim is to help over 10,000 children escape poverty by 2015. We’ve gone some way to doing this already by funding children’s villages, health centres, schools and hostels, but there is still a great deal of fundraising and work to be done.’

‘Those who get involved in Cycle India 2012 will not only be contributing to an extremely worthwhile cause, they will also experience a truly unique country, meet new people, and get fit all at the same time.’

With no paid staff at Heal, or any administration fees, almost all of the funds raised from such events go towards helping the country’s children get the best start in life possible. The previous Cycle India rides have raised and combined total of £180,000 and Heal is now responsible for the education and welfare of more than 1000 children.

The fundraising target for Cycle India 2012 has been set at more than £100,000 just from the UK, meaning that Matthew has a very busy year ahead of him. Similarly, Heal USA – the America-based fundraising team – aim to generate at least $100,000 from their efforts.

‘Our targets are ambitious’, said Matthew. ‘But having seen the huge difference that this money makes to so many young people, and knowing the calibre of people involved with Heal, I have no doubt that we will achieve these targets.’

Readers interested in learning about or getting involved with Cycle India 2012 should visit www.heal.co.uk.

Conservatory Outlet is a leading home improvement manufacturer offering the very latest conservatories, orangeries, double glazing UPVC windows and replacement doors through our network of high calibre installation companies in the UK.

Conservatory Outlet’s Charity Work Creates Ripples

Conservatory Outlet — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:49:49 +0000

Conservatory Outlet is helping to reverse the effects of deforestation in the African country of Malawi by regularly donating to the charity Ripple Africa.

Matthew recently jetted off to Malawi on a self-funded trip to ensure that the money his company is donating to Ripple Africa is being spent wisely. “Trees in Malawi are being cut down at an alarming rate,” reported Matthew on his return to the UK. “An area of forest the size of a football pitch is cut down every 10 minutes.”

Matthew described the situation as complex, and pointed out that if nothing is done about it, Malawi could be treeless within 30 years. The country’s government is doing very little about the problem, and Ripple Africa is the only NGO (non-governmental organisation) involved in any kind of reforestation scheme.

Conservatory Outlet is funding 20 separate nurseries in the region (out of a total of 100), with the tree planting project centred in Nkhata Bay District, Malawi – an area of 4,000km2, which is about the size of Kent. Each tree nursery nurtures around 3,000 seedlings around the July/August period with Ripple Africa supplying the tubes, pesticides, tools and expertise to these communities.

Ripple Africa is planting a combination of indigenous, exotic, and fruit trees. The main aims of the project are:
• to provide sustainable timber in woodlots for firewood, building
• to restore degraded land by planting indigenous trees
• to provide additional food using fruit trees and nitrogen-fixing trees
• to help conserve existing forests.

“Planting trees is a practical way to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, so we feel this partnership is a good way to help fight climate change, while at the same time helping very poor people alleviate poverty and develop local sustainable livelihoods,” Matthew explained.

Ripple Africa has enabled local communities in Malawi to plant over three million trees since 2006, and it is estimated that they will absorb at least 90,000 tonnes of carbon. This would offset the annual carbon emissions of at least 9,000 people living in the West.

The partnership with Ripple Africa is just one part of an environmental policy Conservatory Outlet has put in place, which also includes policies to reduce its carbon footprint, and pioneering the sale of A Rated Energy Efficient Windows. “I would be keen to talk to anybody from within the UK double glazing industry who is keen to get involved and help financially,” Matthew said. “It would be great to think that our industry adopted a tree planting and conservation initiative in this part of the world, by helping Ripple Africa in its work.”

Ripple Africa is among a handful of charities supported by Conservatory Outlet, via the umbrella charity ‘Inspired by People’, which was co-founded by Matthew Glover. Other beneficiaries include Heal UK, which helps children in South India, and Kopila Nepal, which helps children and communities affected by armed conflict in the region.

For further information visit:
www.inspiredbypeople.org
www.rippleafrica.org

Noel’s Christmas Present TV Show Gets a New Orangery Courtsey of West Yorkshire Windows

Conservatory Outlet — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:56:41 +0000

West Yorkshire Windows, part of the Conservatory Outlet dealership in Wakefield & Leeds were approached by Sky 1 to donate a conservatory for a lady called Val Lepedat for the Noel Edmonds Christmas Present TV show.

The Story
Valerie Lepedat, 66 was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago and she has been courageously fighting the disease ever since. After Val’s first cancer surgery at Doncaster Royal infirmary she joined the Patient Focus Group. Val thought her medical and nursing treatment was excellent but the compassion and added support that she felt she needed at such a time was missing. This inspired Val and a fellow member of the Patient Focus Group, Lynne Rothwell to do something to help all cancer patients. Val and Lynne came up with the concept of The Aurora Center a dedicated unit offering free treatments to improve the quality of life for cancer patients.

The Aurora Centre’s aim is to boost the self esteem and self confidence of patients whilst undergoing and recovering from related treatments of cancer. The Centre offers a wide range of professional beauty therapy treatments to improve body image for female and male patients suffering from the effects of cancer and the side effects of its treatment. Patents can book pamper days, therapeutic massage, skin care and make-up advice, reflexology and advice on hair loss by one full time and two part time therapists that are specially trained to deal with the effects of cancer treatment.

Often a patient will not only lose their hair as a result of radio therapy but also their eyebrows, eyelashes and the skin can often change colour. The Aurora Center offers free therapies that resolve all these side effects. It has been recognised that improving a person’s sense of well-being will dramatically improve their chances of overcoming their illness. The center also offers its services for free to the patient’s family and carers as they also need a little more care during the patient’s treatment. The Centre employs 5 full and part time staff everyone else involved is a volunteer.

Val is a co-founder and the leading volunteer of Aurora and has built the center over the past 7 years to the point where it now gives its services free to over 500 patients a year. The Centre is totally funded by donation but the premises are owned by the NHS and are on hospital sites as the NHS fully endorse what Aurora is doing. Val is involved not only in the day to day running of the Centre but also with its three major fundraising events each year, a large fashion show (all the models are Aurora patents often wearing clothes that don’t hide the physical damage of cancer and its treatment) a golf tournament and a fun run along with a constant itinerary of small fund raising tasks.

The Aurora Centre at the Doncaster Infirmary has been so successful that Val and the Aurora team have opened a second Centre at the Mexborough Montague Hospital about 10 miles from Doncaster. The team also has plans to open a Centre in Manchester next year.

Jayne, Val’s nominator said “I cannot quantify the number of hours Val puts into the charity each and every week or the many compromises she must have made to her own family life in order to support Aurora, but Val does this very quietly and humbly avoiding recognition and reward when in reality she is to many ‘the face of Aurora’”

Aurora Centre, Doncaster

West Yorkshire Windows Donation
West Yorkshire Windows in Wakefield & Leeds supplied, built and fitted a new Orangery for the Aurora Centre that was finished at the end of November. The Orangery will be used as a Reception area for the cancer sufferers and an area to relax. On Sunday, Val got to see it for the first time. Through out the entire build, she didn’t know anything about it. The other part of her present was a trip to Tenerife with her family, including her son that flew over from Australia to see her.

As you can imagine, Val and everyone at the Aurora Centre were over the moon with their new Orangery installed by West Yorkshire Windows.

To view the Orangery designed and built by West Yorkshire Windows – you can watch the show on Sky 1 on December the 20th.

About West Yorkshire Windows
West Yorkshire Windows – part of the Conservatory Outlet dealership is the leading home improvement company operating throughout Yorkshire. Installing the latest range of Conservatory & Orangery designs accompanied with a range of energy efficient Double Glazing Windows & UPVC Doors.

To find out more about West Yorkshire Windows you can visit their fabulous showrooms in Wakefield or Leeds or if you prefer, call free on 0800 026 4455.

WOW! That’s What I Call Jingles – Planet’s Greatest Hits CD Available Now

Conservatory Outlet — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:36:43 +0000

Over the past year our listeners have really got behind ‘The Bay Radios’ Make-A-Wish Appeal. You’ve been doing all kinds of wacky things to raise money for the appeal; from Pub Quizzes to Sky Diving – the sky really has been the limit!

Everyone talks about Planet South Lakes‘ radio adverts on The Bay – especially the Three Little Pigs! Simply by buying our charity ‘WOW – That’s What I Call Jingles 96.9 – Planet’s Greatest Hits’ CD you’ve made a difference to our ‘Make-A-Wish campaign.

The tracks appearing on the CD are:
1. Calafragic
2. John Brown
3. Plink Plink
4. Rabbits
5. Subtle
6. Across The Land
7. Bah Bah
8. Charlie & Young’Enry
9. Dot
10. Ringtone
11. Singing Lessons
12. Soldier Soldier
13. Spicy
14. The Day We Went To Planet
15. Western
16. Old Mak
17. The Three Little Pigs
18. The Three Little Pigs – Karaoke Bonus Track

Click on the graphic below to listen to a sample jingle:

To get further involved with The Bay’s Make-A-Wish Appeal all you need to do is get in touch! Let us know what you’re doing and we’ll make sure you get a big shout out on The Bay to say ‘Thank You’.

100% of the money raised from Planet South Lakes Greatest Hits CD will go direct to the Make-A-Wish Appeal Charity.

Just email; charlotte.piercy@cnradio.co.uk or CLICK HERE visit the Bay’s website for details on how to purchase ‘WOW – That’s What I Call Jingles 96.9 – Planet’s Greatest Hits’ CD.

About the Make-A-Wish Charity
Make-A-Wish grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. Make-A-Wish Foundation UK was founded in June 1986, since then they have granted over 5,300 wishes to children and young people. At any given time over time 20,000 children in the UK are living with life-threatening conditions and the aim is to grant 21 wishes a week by the year 2010.

Whether a wish is to be a princess or a policeman for a day, own the latest computer equipment, meet a favourite celebrity or just enjoy some special time away from home with their family. A wish come true brings so much to a child’s life and provides memories for the family that last a lifetime.

What you waiting for – Order the CD Now! and make a difference to the Children and Young people.