Thursday 24th May. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, as well as many women in West Africa, need your discarded bras please. HIOWAA work with a recycling company called ‘Bag it up’ (www.bagitup.org.uk), who recycle donated clothes, which are processed and then sent to other countries for resale. 
Winchester Symphony Orchestra presents ‘Music in the Air’
We are very fortunate this year, in being the beneficiaries of several wonderful music concerts across the region, for which we are very grateful. The next one, performed by the Winchester Symphony Orchestra, is on Saturday 19th May at 2.30 at the United Church, Jewry Street, Winchester.
The concert, directed by guest conductor Edgar Holmes, includes a selection of light music and a performance of Mozart’s 4th Horn Concerto - soloist Neill Evans. Entrance is free and there is a retiring collection for HIOWAA. Hope you can come along and enjoy this super concert.
I’m really delighted to advise that the temporary HIOWAA shop, which we had for 5 days in Whitchurch, near Andover, last week, was a great success, as just over £1,500 profit was achieved.
Thank you so much to all those who donated stock, this really was greatly appreciated. All items unsold were recycled, clothing went to our recycling banks; books to the Samaritans, china/curtains/bric-a-brac to the Basingstoke Community Project, and even all the cardboard boxes were recycled!
Many thanks to volunteers Jan and Joyce, who ran the shop, and also to Phillip, Tony, Peter, Pam and Trevor, for their invaluable support. The shop wouldn’t have happened without them.
Finally, many thanks to all our customers, as without you, we’d have an awful lot of stock left!
June
On Thursday 28th June at the Princes Hall Aldershot, the Rushmoor Odd Fellows Male Voice Choir will be ‘Singing For You’. The ‘You’ in this case is the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Service. This charity will be the sole beneficiaries from this concert. Tickets are priced at just £10 and include a complimentary programme.
‘The Odds’ are well known as a Male Voice Choir and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall on four occasions with the London Welsh MVC in their Festival of Male Voices as well at The Fairfield Halls Croydon, The Lighthouse at Poole and more recently at Winchester Cathedral.
Their unique informal concerts are always well patronised and they raise thousands of pounds annually for local charities. The concert on June 28th will be another to raise money for a good cause.
For further information and details of how to purchase tickets please refer to their web site here
On Saturday 12th May, the Romsey Male Voice Choir, supported by the Romsey Youth Choir, are kicking off the celebrations for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance 5th Birthday Year with a concert of wonderful music. This will be held in the spectacular surroundings of The Great Hall, Winchester, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are only £12.00 each, and are available on line here or from HIOWAA Head Office, 4 Kings Park Road, Southampton. 02380 333377. PLEASE NOTE. Tickets purchased on line will be held for you at the door on the night of the concert. There will also be tickets available for purchase on the night.
Why not come and join us to enjoy a surprising blend of musical variety with this stunning Male Voice Choir and the supporting voices of the Romsey Youth Choir. The evening will be compered by Alexis Green, of BBC South Today. Tickets are limited to please apply for yours today.
Immediately following my accident and rescue by HIOWAA the future of my right leg was in serious jeopardy. The good news was that swift first aid and assistance from the paramedics and air ambulance crew meant that the hospital staff believed that it could be saved. To cut a long story short four operations later I started to walk again unaided – very wobbly at first but I was walking on my own original legs!
Read Cathy's story about her accident here
Two years on my knee is as strong as it’ll ever be and I’m trying to get back into shape. Having been a very sporty person this has been a VERY difficult process. I am unable to do any of the sports I used to do as my knee is still unstable in one direction and to make things worse during my recovery I took to ‘comfort eating’ and ‘couch-potato-ing’.
I had regarded cycling as a process to get from A to B and since my serious accident started by being on a two-wheeler I had become quite nervous on the road. However, cycling was one of the few exercises I could do. I thought I needed a challenge to make myself do it more seriously and to come to terms with my accident, then I stumbled upon and signed up for www.nightrider.org.uk ; a charity ride in London from Alexandra Palace to Crystal Palace and back – 100km... what is more I am confronting my personal demons and fears of being on the road – it takes place IN THE DARK! I have a 00:55AM start on Sunday 10th June 2012.
Despite continual raining I have started preparing – cycling, swimming, the gym and as of two weeks ago a “spinning” class. The first week spinning was a killer but I went back last night and felt it was MUCH more manageable which was enough progress to keep me going over the next 5 weeks and the long night itself.
If you want to support me in this challenge please go to http://www.justgiving.com/CathyGrowney
Many thanks.
