Cllr James Hockney LLB (Hons)

Yesterday I was delighted to attend a drinks reception at Landbeach Tithe Barn as the Trust Chairman.

At the event, during my speech, I revealed the great news that we have secured formal charity status from the Charity Commission. In all over 45 people attended the event, helping to raise additional much needed funds.

The Landbeach Tithe Barn is a wonderful building from the Tudor period. It was used for the Parish Priest to receive 10% of local farmers produce.

Why is it so important to save the Landbeach Tithe Barn? Tithe Barns are now quite rare in the UK. The Landbeach Tithe Barn one is the last remaining example in Cambridgeshire
and the only one with its original brick floor. It is estimated it was built as early as 1527 – so it is approaching it’s 500th anniversary.

To find out more visit the Tithe Barn website or the facebook page

I very much do hope that we can secure the long term future of this wonderful Tudor building for future generations.

Delighted to report that the final total following my charity challenge BT Tower Climb was £1,121.56 for Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s charity (GOSH). This represents more than a pound a step – 1,000 steps, 34 floors at the BT Tower (my final time was 12 minutes 6 seconds.)

Pictured right: Presenting the cheque to the GOSH team.

A big thank you to everyone that has already donated and supported.

I dedicated the climb to a good friend of mine, Neil Davidson, who passed away a few days before the BT Tower Climb

GOSH are a wonderful cause making a real difference to youngsters lives. The money raised will be used to help keep making extraordinary things happen for GOSH patients and their families.

On Saturday I was delighted to have completed that BT Tower Climb charity challenge in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s charity. This involved climbing 1,000 steps, 34 floors at the BT Tower – my final time was 12 minutes 6 seconds.

I have dedicated the climb to a good friend of mine, Neil Davidson, who passed away on Thursday. 

GOSH are a wonderful cause making a real difference to youngsters lives. The money raised will be used to help keep making extraordinary things happen for our patients and their families.

With donations in cash and through the website ‘JustGiving’ we have nearly reached the fundraising target of £1,000. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure.
Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. It’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and costs for the charity.  www.justgiving.com/JamesHockney/ 

A big thank you to everyone that has already donated and supported so far.

Can you sponsors me for £10, £20, £50, £100 to support Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH)? March 5th I will climb 1,000 steps, 34 floors at the BT Tower. www.justgiving.com/JamesHockney/

GOSH are a wonderful cause making a real difference to youngsters lives. The money raised will be used to help keep making extraordinary things happen for our patients and their families.

For example; £21 could cover the cost of one flow meter – a gadget that ensures children are
getting just the right amount of oxygen while they recover. £35 could buy chemical scissors for chopping DNA to learn more about our genetics £100 could buy a special chemical measuring tool that lets scientists find out the size of DNA molecules, vital information that could
reveal clues about how to help more children overcome their illness. £250 could buy special chemicals, called antibodies, which act like tiny molecular torches, lighting up cells and helping our scientists think up new and better ways to treat disease. £308 could help pay for a week’s stay in our family accommodation so that parents can stay close by while their child is in hospital.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity. www.justgiving.com/JamesHockney/ 

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity are a wonderful cause making a real difference to youngsters lives.

So why not sponsor my BT Tower Climb; 34 floors – 1,000 steps. www.gosh.org/events-and-appeals/bt-tower-climb

The money raised will be used to help keep making extraordinary things happen for our patients and their families.

£21 could cover the cost of one flow meter – a gadget that ensures children are getting just the right amount of oxygen while they recover.
£35 could buy chemical scissors for chopping DNA to learn more about our genetics
£100 could buy a special chemical measuring tool that lets scientists find out the size of DNA molecules, vital information that could reveal clues about how to help more children overcome their illness.
£250 could buy special chemicals, called antibodies, which act like tiny molecular torches, lighting up cells and helping our scientists think up new and better ways to treat disease.
£308 could help pay for a week’s stay in our family
accommodation so that parents can stay close by while their child is in hospital.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity. www.justgiving.com/JamesHockney

Delighted that the charity event I organised at the family restaurant Bollywood Spice raised £2,250.

The ‘5th Anniversary Charity Gala Dinner’ monies raised meant £750 for each of the three charities;

Waterbeach Toddler Playgroup, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Addenbrookes Charitable Trust in aid of the Neonatal Intensive Care Baby Unit (SCBU/NICU).

Delighted that the charity event I organised at the family restaurant Bollywood Spice raised £2,250.

The ‘5th Anniversary Charity Gala Dinner’ money will be split between the three charities; Waterbeach Toddler Playgroup, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Addenbrookes Charitable Trust in aid of the Neonatal Intensive Care Baby Unit (SCBU/NICU).

A massive thank you to everyone who bought tickets, bought raffle tickets, bid on auction items, donated auction items, donated raffle items and those that could not attend making a donation.

When we started to arrange the event, we put out a community call for suggestions of charities to support. An incredible response was received with over 30 charities suggested and we supported the top three. 

The event sold out in a week which was a great result and certainly gave us good cause to know this would be a special event. At all the previous charity events we raised £500-£1,300 – so this latest total was a new record!

This is a fantastic example of how generous the Waterbeach community is as always.

I am delighted to be organising a charity event on October 1st. The family restaurant Bollywood Spice will be celebrating it’s 5th anniversary with a Charity Gala Dinner in aid of three charities;
(1) Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.
(2) Addenbrookes Charitable Trust – Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU) and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
(3) Waterbeach Toddler Playgroup.

These three charities came out of over 30 suggested charities by local residents. So are very worthy causes.

Tickets are £17.50 which includes a two course dinner with tea’s and coffee’s there after.

Profits from meal and all proceeds from raffle and auction will be split evenly between the three good causes.

Tickets for the night are available from me; to purchase your tickets simpy send a cheque made payable to ‘Bollywood Spice’ to 20 Levitt Lane, Waterbeach, Cambs, CB25 9AZ.

I am very much looking forward to the event!

It does not seem possible, but today East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices is 25 years old. First officially opened by the Princess of Wales on August 1st, 1989. The charity in that time has expanded beyond the Milton hospice in Cambridgeshire to include hospices in Quidenham (Norfolk) and Ipswich (Suffolk). The royal support for the charity has continued with the Duchess of Cambridge recently becoming the Royal Patron of EACH.

I was delighted to be invited to the EACH 25 years charity fundraisers thank you reception. My girlfriend and I found it a wonderful experience to be among fellow fundraisers and to see more of the EACH team (plus some lovely cake as pictured). From the event it reinforced to me how important fundraising is. This is because a large part of the funding for the three hospices relies on the generosity of the public. The three hospices need £6 million pounds per year to keep running,  of which around two thirds comes from donations and fundraising. There is now an amazing 17 shops across Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk to help in the effort.

So far I have arranged two fundraisers for the charity in the last year, one at my home and one at the family restaurant. From the latter, the Mayor of Ely, Councillor Lis Every attended and as a result decided to make it her official charity for the year.

From having visited EACH in Milton, it is difficult to stress how much they do to support youngsters and their families. The amount of support, care and thought I only fully appreciated on visiting.

They deliver a wide range of services including; short break care, specialist play activities, music therapy, hydrotherapy, parent groups, sibling groups, care at end of life and bereavement support.

There is a guest wing for families to stay at. When I visited I was told of one story where a mother slept 24 hours straight because she was so tired. A good night normally at home was getting up six times in a night to care for her child. It really sent home to me how lucky many of us and our families are not to be in the heart rending position and why we should all support such a worthy charity.

To learn more about the charity please go to their website; www.each.org.uk. It is a cause that needs your support. Especially as they need to raise an additional £10 million to pay for a new purpose built hospice in Framlingham, Norfolk. Visit their website today on their 25th anniversary and make a difference.

I was delighted to organise a Charity fundraiser lunch at Bollywood Spice Waterbeach in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Karen Newton EACH Cambridgeshire Fundraiser says “I am delighted that the charity lunch at Bollywood Spice was so successful and would like to thank Cllr James Hockney and the proprietors of Bollywood Spice for organising such a wonderful event. The money raised could fund two in-house Day Care sessions in our Milton Hospice (lasting 16 hours) enabling the child to meet other children or young people facing similar challenges, allowing siblings to have some “special time” with their family, or providing the parents with the opportunity to spend time with their sick child without the responsibility of 24-hour care.”

A big thank you to everyone who attended, donated a raffle prize or made a donation. The event was sponsored by Art of Clean.