New Earswick Foxes Football Club

On Thursday 7th December, Lee Quickmire, Shaun Urquhart and David Clark went to the Marice Curie Cancer Care Hospice in Bradford to present a cheque for £3500.

The money was raised from the recent Foxtonbury event and the Calendar sales from 2011. It was a fantastic amount raised and was greatly received by the Marie Curie. SInce the club has been formed in 2009, the club and Lee Quickmire between them have raised and donated over £12,500 to charity. This is a great achievement as when the club originally set out, it was hoped we would raise approx £300 a year for charity, meaning £750 would only have been raised in the 2 1/2 years the club has been formed.

Chairman Lee Quickmire said "Raising £12,500 is amazing and Im so proud of the achievement, the money goes to a great cause and really makes a difference to peoples lives and the money from us ensures they can receive the end of life care they desperately want. £12,500 means we have provided 625 hours of care for a Marie Curie Nurse." he added "seeing the work the Marie Curie nurses do really inspires you to do more for the cause, we think £12,500 is brilliant, however it isn't nearly enough to help support this cause. There are 9 MCCC hospices out there and each one cost around £9000 a day to run, then there is the nurses who work around the clock going to homes to provide care and support for the families. Whilst we are proud of what we have achieved so far, I am determined to drive the club further forward and support this great cause even further and do what we can to raise as much awareness and support for them. The hospice in Bradford is 10 years old, however when you see the place it is in pristine condition and looks and feels new,it is immensely looked after and cared for and that can been seen in the patients faces and the staffs."



Lee's view from visiting the Hospice
From visiting the Bradford hospice, it really shows how the nurses and staff at the Marie Curie go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the patients and their families receive the best possible care and support. The staff come across as loving caring and very passionate about what they do, which has a knock on effect. £20 is enough to give 1 cancer patient an hours care by a Marie Curie nurse. My aim now is to push the club on and help more patients receive the care they deserve.

The hospice is not just about going there to end your days, it is much more than that, much more life than death. Whilst on our visit we went past the lounge area of the hospice, it was a bright happy place and this was shown by the patients in there bursting out in full voice singing chart songs and Christmas songs. It was pretty overwhelming and amazing. One thing I noticed whilst walking around the hospice, is everyone smiles, people are coming to terms with awful news, but they are determined and tackling it head on with smiles and hope. Staff are buzzing around but with smiles on their faces and it cant help but make you smile to. Their brightness and character rubs off on you and you can see how this would put a patient at easy and help get them to think positive about life.

The hospice offers many services for patients and there is a day center where you can come in and talk to like minded people, whilst also having fun and gaining the support and guidance from the staff. Whilst hospices are deemed doom and gloom from both my visits to the hospice I have not witnessed that stereotype. I have witness patients coming to terms with their illness but doing it with courage and with smiles on their faces, yes people go their for the final days, to be comforted and supported by some of the greatest people in this world. But a hospice is also there for reflection, support, fun and inspiring people. There is even a multi-communal chapel to prey in, religions come together, hate is forgotten and you enter a world of people pulling together and supporting others, offering care and love....in my view it is a shame more of the world is not like this. We see so much hate and lose faith in man kind in the world today, yet when you visit a hospice or see the work nurses do, it puts all faith back into mankind and shows what we are capable of doing.

The visit to the hospice has touch me and I will continue to drive and support the cause through myself and the club and raise much needed funds for a very worthy cause.


*********************************************
See how you can help the Fox FC raise money for the Marie Curie and help the club stay in existence so we can continue to support the amazing cause -

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/thefoxfcinaidofmariecuriecancercare/news/win-100-every-month-in-the-c-410534.html