Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2017 | Page 49

Charity News
Fund-raising from across the Island
Walk the Wight 2017
Registration is now open for the Earl Mountbatten
Hospice’s Walk the Wight, which is being held on
Sunday 14 May.
The iconic event, which started out in 1991 as
a small team-building exercise for Morey’s staff,
has grown to regularly attract more than 7,500
participants. Over £4million has been raised in total
since the walk began, supporting patients, families
and carers.
2017 is the 35th anniversary of our Island hospice
and it is hoped Islanders will help mark this special
occasion by stepping out to Walk the Wight this year.
In recognition of this milestone, all of EMH’s fund-
raisers throughout the year will receive a limited
edition, anniversary badge to say ‘thank you’ for
supporting the hospice. Everyone who raises £35 or
more will receive a Bronze anniversary badge. Those
who go the extra mile and raise £350 or more will
receive a Silver anniversary badge. And those who
really step up to the challenge and raise £3,500 or
more will receive a Gold anniversary badge.
Visit www.iwhospice.org or pop into a Hospice
shop to sign up.
A Gold for
excellence
Popular Island animal
sanctuary Monkey Haven, has
carried off one of the biggest
awards in Tourism, a Gold
Beautiful South Award in the
2016 Small Visitor Attraction
category.
Judges were full of praise for the
Newport wildlife park, and Nigel Smith,
Chief Executive of Tourism South East
paid tribute to its excellence, saying
it was all down to: “vision, years of
commitment, hard work and talented
people.”
At an awards ceremony at
Southampton’s Ageas Bowl Hilton, a
huge crystal trophy was presented, and
the sanctuary’s Kelly Wickes, said: “We
Wheat the Javan Langur
were so nervous and excited, it was a
challenge not to drop it!”
Monkey Haven’s founder Don Walser
commented: “Well.. who’d have thought
it? Certainly not us, six years ago, when
we battled against the odds to open
our little animal sanctuary on the Isle of
Wight. People thought we were crazy,
but our amazing supporters have always
been there for us, sharing our drive to
help animals in crisis, and that’s kept
us going. This award means so much
to us. So thanks a million, this trophy is
for you.”
KissyPuppy funds new
car for children’s nurses
AIR AMBULANCE TO FUND
DOCTORS TRAINING PROGRAMME
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
(HIOWAA), in partnership with University Hospital
Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS), has
committed to fund the first four years of a Pre-
Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) training
programme for Doctors in the Wessex Deanery,
which includes Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The programme is designed to provide a steady and
resilient supply of Pre-Hospital Emergency Specialist
Doctors to fly as part of the charity’s Air Ambulance
crew, during both day and night operations.
The critical care team of PHEM Doctor and
Paramedic working on the Air Ambulance together
enables patients with life-threatening injuries
or illness to get advanced medical treatment
immediately on scene.
Children using services at Earl
Mountbatten Hospice now have access
to flexible transport, thanks to a very
generous donation from KissyPuppy,
the Sophie Rolf Trust.
The Children’s Community Nursery
Nurses team are now the proud owners
of a specially adapted vehicle. The new
car means that the nurses are able to
take children between home and the
hospice, as well as out for day trips,
whenever they want to; previously,
they have had to arrange for a specially
adapted pool car to be available, in
advance, along with a driver.
KissyPuppy’s Gemma Blamire and
Aaron Rolf recently handed over the
new vehicle to the nurses who were
delighted with the kind donation.
Nigel Hartley, Chief Executive, said:
“We are incredibly thankful to Gemma
and Aaron for providing this vehicle
which will further enhance what we
can offer to young pe