A Brit in the South: Friends of Serenity

Showing posts with label Friends of Serenity. Show all posts

Friday, 6 March 2020

Day 54 - Rekindling a past project

I've been doing a lot of reminiscing and looking back over the last few weeks. A lot of it has been trying to find more inspiration for my blog. But it is also the case that I feel more in common with the me of 3-4 years ago than the one of the last 12-18 months or so. Despite being an arrogant prick at times (see previous post) there was a much greater sense of dynamism and positivity about a lot of what I did. And a surprising amount of creativity too, something my daughter would definitely attest to being in short supply around me!

As I was looking back I was reminded of a project that really first came about during a family Christmas conversation - and I think the idea can be traced back to my dad.

Maybe 4 years ago I started to write a series of children's stories about the adventures in space of two children and a cat (played brilliantly by my nephew's Charlie and Oscar and my niece Poppy). They are guided through their escapades by a star called Luke, named in memory of Jo and Mark's baby - who is the main reason Friends of Serenity exists in the first place. I've since made a few revisions to incorporate Katie into the stories, and I've started to sketch out the next batch.

The idea all along was to publish these and sell them to raise funds for the charity. I still want to pursue this idea.

I know there are huge hurdles to overcome but I also know there are some fantastic, generous people out there and with a bit of hard work we can make this happen.

I've finished the stories now and am still hoping the editing and illustrations done by friends or family. My sister originally planned to edit them, but her life keeps her busy. Katie would like to do the illustrations but there are still a bunch of other things that we need to get sorted in the meantime before we can get even begin to make this a reality.

We need to find a publisher who is interested or if not we need to locate somewhere where we can layout and print our own books. I'm sure there are plenty of other things I've not even considered either.

So we are still a way away, but if you know anyone who may be able to help in any way at all then I would love to hear from you.

You can drop me a line at doctortomowens@gmail.com or you can get me via my twitter handle @tomthedoctor.

Also, if you can share this around then it would be magnificent. The more people who hear about the project, the greater our chances of finding someone who might be able to help and the more likely it is that this will eventually see the light of day.

Thanks for reading.

Till tomorrow, Tom

Wednesday, 26 February 2020

Day 46 - Giving

So I have decided what my lenten activity is going to be this year. The best one I actually saw (well the one I like the most) was, "donate an item you don't use every day for 40 days". Unfortunately as I am new here and with a skeleton crew of stuff I don't have anything to really donate. All my crap is back in my lock-up in Manchester!

Another good one was volunteering. But unfortunately with my hectic and ever changing schedule here in the US I didn't want to commit to something that I wouldn't be able to follow through. Once I get a bit more into a groove then I still intend to do that, but not right now.

I finally decided on two things.

1) I am going to donate a single item from my cupboard (or my weekly shop) each day. Then when Easter Sunday comes (and Katie is here) we are going to go to the local food bank and donate it. It's not much, but it is something.

2) Every day I am going to mention on my blog a charity which I think is worthwhile and deserving of your time and (hopefully) money. Some will be local here in BR, some in Houston, some local to Manchester and others very close to my heart. I will be donating to each and every one of them too. A small gesture I admit, but hopefully every little bit can help.

Today's charity is one that is very close to my heart and one that I had the privilege of being a trustee of for a short period of time, Friends of Serenity. They do have a website but I think they are most active on the Facebook page. A quick bit of history behind the charity - shamelessly stolen from said website as Jo is far more eloquent than I when talking about this:

Friends of Serenity is a non-profit organisation that was set up by Joanne Edwards at the end of May 2013 after she lost her son Luke, earlier that year, as a result of Trisomy 13. Friends of Serenity has a few main aims;

To preserve and protect the health of sick pregnant women and those who have suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death in particular but not exclusively by:

(i) providing and assisting in the provision of facilities and equipment at East Lancashire Women and New Born Centre not normally provided by the statutory authorities.

(ii) supporting newly bereaved parents by the provision of memory boxes.

(iii) providing qualified information by any means appropriate on the chromosome disorder Trisomy 13 for the public benefit.

I've no idea how much Jo, Mark and the others have raised in the nearly 7 years of tireless work, but it is a staggering amount - and a real testament to the power of positivity in the face of overwhelming pain and anguish. They continue to be an inspiration to me today and I am so proud to have been a part of everything they are continuing to do.

So please, if you have something spare, make a trip to their JustGiving page and give anything you can. Friends of Serenity really makes a difference to people's lives, they help families to take the positives from situations where there seems no hope and they have created a loving community which enriches all those involved daily.

If anyone has any charities close to their heart please let me know. I am hoping to promote as many as possible over the next few months. The world is a great place, and humans can show levels of kindness that are breathtaking. Let's bring some harmony and love back into a world which desperately needs it.

Till tomorrow, Tom

Monday, 11 January 2016

Why did you do that?

Another year over with, time really does fly by these days. As the year was drawing to a close I began my usual process of planning what I’d like to do this coming year, mainly deciding the charity events for next year’s Many Silly Adventures. 2015 was a reasonably successful year in terms of 10 events being completed, though something had begun to fell amiss towards the end of the year as I was ploughing through the last couple and not enjoying them as much.

As those who have followed the story will know, I do these challenges to support the charity Friends of Serenity. But last year I seem to have inadvertently got side-tracked. It seems that I had completely forgotten WHY I was doing these challenges. I don’t do them for personal gain nor to scratch some kind of competitive itch - I’m not that kind of person really.

I do them for the enjoyment of simply completing them and to use them as a vehicle to try and raise money and awareness for the charity. Don’t get me wrong, I still like to do the best I can, but I’d rather finish last with my team than shave a few seconds off a PB.

Yet last year I was getting more and more disappointed with myself for not being competitive (despite making no real effort to put in the hard yards to allow that to happen). Why was I suddenly becoming more concerned about my times and my growing inability to be competitive – and why had my focus drifted away from the charity and the fun element?

I don’t really have a good answer to be honest, other than it is very easy to get swept along when you are doing something if you aren’t focusing on what got you doing it in the first place. Sometimes it is good to take stock and reset your expectations and, more importantly, limitations.

So the focus for this year’s challenges has shifted. I plan to do a lot less OCRs, partially as I feel these are part of the problem. I’ve felt over the last year a growing divide between those who take part in these for fun (and are often slow and non-competitive) and those who have taken a more serious approach. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with people who want to be more competitive and treat OCRs as simply a race to be won but it’s not my cup of tea.

And the growing split in the community has certainly played a part in my lack of enjoyment last year. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been barged out of the way by “quicker” people – so much for a community spirit built around everyone helping each other. The vast majority of people who enter these are not elite racers, yet I almost feel like I am a second class citizen in the eyes of some event directors who are focusing so heavily on the front end of the race. I’ll still do a few of these; but it will be firmly at the back, purely for the enjoyment and definitely with a bunch of folk around for company.

For the rest of the challenges I intend to change it around a bit, incorporating more than just running and trying to get as many people involved as possible. And the charity will be the focus again, not my personal achievements.

So please go take a look at our website again, and if you fancy joining in or helping out with any of the confirmed challenges below (there may be more to add), then please get in touch and let me know (even if it is just turning up and cheering me on).

Sun 28^th Feb

Manchester Cancer Research 10km

Sat 7^th May

Dirty Weekend 20 mile OCR (Burghley House, Lincolnshire)

Sun 22^nd May

Great Manchester Run 10km

Sat 2^nd July

Great Manchester Swim 1 mile

Sun 31^st July

Salford Sprint Triathlon

In 2016, it’s time to remember what this was all about in the first place.

Till next time,

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

The Butterfly Awards

It was with a great sense of pride that I accompanied my fellow Friends of Serenity trustees to the 2015 Butterfly Awards in October 2015.

These awards honour those who champion baby loss causes and make a difference in bringing the many causes of pre and early-post natal death to a wider audience.

Those of you following the story will know that we were nominated for awards in three categories, and it was truly an honour just to be represented at such a fantastic (if tremendously poignant) event. It is fair to say plenty of tears were shed as we heard some amazing stories of overcoming adversity and making something positive out of devastating turns of events.

The whole evening was a real testament to the dedication of the organisers and helpers. No-one in that room would want to be there in an ideal world, but the strength and determination shown was absolutely unbelievably and genuinely inspirational.

I’m also delighted to report the Friends of Serenity took home both of the awards that the charity was nominated for, firstly for Cherished Keepsake and secondly for UK Support Organisation. Speechless would probably be the best phrase to define how we felt when we were nominated, so to win was beyond belief.

Part of Team Friends of Serenity with the silverware

Three years ago, the charity didn’t exist but now we are making a difference and being recognised as such.

It is a testament to all the hard work done by Jo and Mark, and also to the phenomenal support I have received from everyone whilst doing my Many Silly Adventures on behalf of the charity. It has been hard work but worth every second.

So, once again, thank you so much for everything – it really does mean the world to those who use the charity and benefit from its work.

Till next time,

Sunday, 20 September 2015

EVENT REVIEW: Tough Mudder North West

We are approaching two and a half years of challenges, something I didn’t think would be possible when I first started. Completing two and a half challenges would have been a decent effort but I’ve managed to surprise myself (and probably a few others as well).

CHALLENGE #29 (OCR #17)

Tough Mudder NW

11-12 mile OCR

September 12^th 2015

Cholmondley Estate

If I mention to any “regular” person that I do OCRs then the first question is often something along the lines of, “Oh, you mean like Tough Mudder?”. Love them or hate them (and there are people firmly at both ends of the spectrum), Tough Mudder did help to put OCR on the map. True, they are now getting prohibitively expensive and not overly conducive to a day out the way some of the others are (£12 to park, £12 just to watch). But they helped to kickstart this OCR revolution in many people’s eyes and they still have a part to play for me.

Pre-Race Day Organisation

Pretty good. I managed to get an entry for about £50-60 as a result of doing the survey after last year’s one so the cost was kept down a bit. I got one of those “general entries” which requires conversion into a specific race when the dates are known. To be fair to TM, it was slick and easy to change and they provided everything you need well ahead of time. Now about that price…..

8 – Very Good

Event Facilities

Decent facilities including plenty of toilets, a merchandise tent, beer tent and a Mini-Mudder for the little ones. The problems I have are (a) £12 for parking and a pretty big queue to get everyone in and (b) £3 for a bag drop. Yes it is for charity, and anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I like to do for charity, but £3 is a bit steep in my eyes.

7 - Good

Registration and Race Day Organisation

Slick and easy registration, very pleasantly surprised by this in fact. Was well organised and plenty of staff on hand to keep people moving. Race Day Organisation was a bit rubbish though, we turned up at the warm-up area at 1030 for our 1040 wave only to be told that 1040 was already in the second warm-up pen and the 1100 wave were being pre-warmed up! Doesn’t really matter with TM as no-one checks your wave but an announcement or two wouldn’t have gone amiss.

7 –Good

Location and Watchability

Only an hour from Manchester and pretty good (judging by the accents I heard on the way round) for the Merseyside and Midlands crowds. Three well marked out spectator routes for those who want to come and cheer you on, along with signposts to all the main obstacles.

9 – Excellent

On Course Facilities

Plenty of well-spaced water stations dotted around (I think I counted four or five) although only a couple of them had any refreshments beyond the “sponsored” water. Mile markers dotted around always cheers me up too (especially when it tells you that you are close to the end)! Lots of marshals around the major obstacles too.

7 – Good

Warm-up and Briefings

Despite the problem with the wave timings, the warm-up and briefings did the job satisfactorily, if not greatly. The pre-warm-up crowd surf was a new one on me and did plenty to raise everyone’s camaraderie and sense of togetherness beforehand. But like so many other races, the warm-up area was too small and the warm-up too far in advance of starting to be really useful. Briefing was fun as always and you never cross the start line at TM without feeling pumped up.

7 – Good

Variety of Obstacles

Pretty standard really, despite TM promotional adverts showing all kinds of funky stuff for us to take on. They had updated a few of the obstacles (arctic enema, mud mile etc..) from last year but nothing really jumped out and said “wow”. Bit disappointed with the lack of a Legionnaire’s Loop too.

7 – Good

Obstacle-to-run Mix

Plenty of running, but at 11-and-a-bit miles that is not unexpected. Only really had the one major queue so the balance must have been reasonable when you consider that people are starting every twenty minutes. Never really got bored during the running phases either so all-in-all, not too shabby,

7 - Good

Usage of Terrain and Nature

Not the hilliest place to stage an OCR but they still managed to introduce a few ups-and-downs. Most of the major obstacles were man-made but a decent fist was made of incorporating the available features and terrain.

7 – Good

Post-Race Pack

Tough Mudder don’t do medals, and for a while this year they didn’t plan to do T-Shirts either! A post-race bottle of cider and a non-tech T-Shirt felt like a pretty poor return, considering the phenomenal expense some people encountered for their tickets. Yes, you get a very funky TM headband to sport in work (or in my case two as I got my green 2xTM) but I’d like to see something a bit more lasting please.

6 – Above Average

Course Difficulty: 7

Obstacle Difficulty: 7

Not the most difficult course on the legs, though the sheer distance knocks up the difficulty a notch or two compared to your “typical” `10km courses. Obstacle wise there wasn’t much here that a seasoned OCRer would struggle with – I had the usual go at everything, with my equally usual fall off some things. It’s not a tough event in the grand scheme of things and most newbies would certainly be able to have a go at most of the obstacles, if not all.

Overall Thoughts

Just the two of us this time, and the second half of the race was spent minus Rick as I was running so slow that his knee was beginning to hurt from lack of pace! I really enjoyed the first 6-7 miles but struggled massively in the last few to keep going. Strange atmosphere on the course too considering the number of people watching, I didn’t hear as many people shouting encouragement as I have at other events. Overall I enjoyed it however, though it might be my last TM until the prices come down.

Overall Score

7.0 – As mentioned before I got this cheap, but for £100+ I don’t feel you get the greatest value for money. Some of the new obstacles being advertised weren’t around and it was missing that little something for me. TM events are well put on and professionally run though, so you will definitely have a good time if you take part. My advice: grab a bunch of you (6 to 8) and go for the banter and the memories!

A reminder of the system

10.0 Nothing will ever get 10.0, you should always strive for better

9.5 Sell organs AND children. And everything you own. About as good as it gets

9.0 Sell organs and/or children to do this event every single time

8.5 Highly recommended indeed, this gets booked as soon as it is released

8.0 A very good event, only money or illness would stop this being a yearly thing

7.5 Definitely one to recommend. Not much would keep me away

7.0 On the list for another go, though not necessarily an automatic selection

6.5 Would do this one again if the stars aligned, but wouldn’t break the bank for it

6.0 Was fun but only a very cheap deal and a free weekend would tempt me again

below 6.0 Not for me for one reason or another.

EVENT REVIEWS SO FAR

8.0 Tough Guy

7.5 Reaper Day Race

7.5 Dirty Weekend

7.5 Mudnificent 7

7.5 Yorkshire Warrior (Year 1)

7.0 TOUGH MUDDER NORTH WEST (YEARs 1 and 2)

7.0 Iron Run

7.0 Survival of the Fittest Manchester (Years 1 and 2)

7.0 Spartan Sprint Yorkshire

7.0 Total Warrior Lake District

7.0 Spartan Sprint Manchester

7.0 Yorkshire Warrior (Year 2)

7.0 Avalanche - Chase the Yeti

7.0 Deerstalker

6.5 Mighty Deerstalker

6.5 Pandemonium Iced

6.5 Stockton River Rat Race

6.0 Ram Run

Next up was supposed to be a repeat of one of my favourite events so far, Reaper. But shoulder damage incurred during a nasty fall off a wall at TM means I’m probably not going to be fit in time for that one.

So the honour of marking 30 challenges will go to Manchester Survival of the Fittest, the first three-peat OCR I’ve done and, interestingly, the first OCR I ever attempted way back in November 2013.

The sport has come a long way since then, as have I.

Till next time,

Thursday, 10 September 2015

EVENT REVIEW: Mudnificent 7

This week’s episode of Team MUBU’s “Seriously how good was that?” OCR review is the first “Multi-Branded OCR” to ever hit the UK (or as far as I know, any) shores – MUDNIFICENT 7. Organised by Obstacle Race Magazine, this 7km race gave 7 race organisations 1km each in which to showcase their wares. Throw in a big OCR Expo as well and you’ve got a proper day out in the mud.

CHALLENGE #27 (OCR #16)

MUDNIFICENT 7

7km OCR

August 1^st 2015

Heart of England Conference Centre, Meriden

Nearly at the end!

7 OCR companies competing to put on the best 1km and show the UK what they are capable of. A wide variety of obstacles, concepts and plenty of surprises along the way courtesy of:

Aztec Warrior

Airfield Anarchy

Tough Guy Original

Bigfoot Challenge

Ram Run

Reaper

Bear Grylls Survival Race

I’ll deal with each “race” separately at the end – for now the marks are for the overall Mudnificent 7 event as a whole.

Pre-Race Day Organisation

No real complaints here whatsoever. It was a Trumin-based registration which can be a bit of a pain sometimes but on this occasion it seemed to work OK. Plus, we had 4 of us registered for four different wave times but I managed to get everyone into the same wave via a single email to OCR Magazine HQ (thanks Kevin).

9 – Excellent

Event Facilities

Loads of places to spend hard earned cash. The OCR expo bit wasn’t quite as large as I was expecting, and it would help if they took cards at more of the stalls, but generally there was plenty to keep you entertained both before and after the race. Ample parking, decent toilet facilities and a free bag drop for your valuables.

9 - Excellent

Registration and Race Day Organisation

Slick and easy registration which was good as the registration at Reaper – same venue – wasn’t quite so hot last time. Decent sized waves so you weren’t feeling too cramped at the start plus everything was signposted and easy to locate on site.

8 – Very Good

Location and Watchability

Bit of a drive for us from Manchester but as an OCR venue this is very good. Central location and plenty of places for spectators to mooch around and take in some of the action. Easy to get out of the venue at the end and a pretty much non-existent walk from the car park.

8 – Very Good

On Course Facilities

Each race segment had their own marshals and generally they were great. We managed to take the wrong route at the start of our wave (never follow someone who looks like they know where they are going!) but as a rule everything was pretty clearly marked out and easy to follow. Enough water stations dotted around to keep you hydrated as well, no complaints.

7 – Good

Warm-up and Briefings

Just your “typical” 2 to 3 minute warm-up before we got going. Nothing special but at least there was something I suppose, plenty of places don’t even do that anymore.

6 – Above Average

Variety of Obstacles

I expected there to be tons of different obstacles here and, while there wasn’t quite the range I was hoping for, it was still pretty good. The races seem to have done a reasonable job of getting together and making sure the zones were all different enough in their make-up. It would have been pretty rubbish with 7 x cargo nets, 7 x walls etc.. but in actual fact the duplication was kept to a minimum – shame the big Airfield Anarchy slide was “down” when we got there though.

8 – Very Good

Obstacle-to-run Mix

Pretty standard. There was never going to be loads of running with each zone trying to maximise what they could fit into it in terms of obstacles. A few boring sections and quite a few queues, especially early on, means the balance wasn’t quite as good as it could have been though.

7 - Good

Usage of Terrain and Nature

Reaper use this venue for their OCRs and they do a fantastic job of using what is presented to them. Pretty much all the zones did the same here, I especially enjoyed finishing (and cleaning) off in the surprisingly warm lake just before the finish line. The venue isn’t the hilliest but you still feel like you’ve covered plenty of miles and got a good workout by the end.

8 – Very Good

Post-Race Pack

Again this was pretty standard, a nice chunky medal and a decent technical t-shirt (though I’d like to have seen a few more of the race logos on the t-shirt). I think there were some goodies in the bag too but, to be honest, a t-shirt and a medal usually ticks the box for me.

7 – Good

Course Difficulty: 5

Obstacle Difficulty: 7

This wasn’t a particularly difficult running course, not if you are comparing it to something like Deerstalker, Tough Guy or Total Warrior Lakes. It is generally pretty flat and the terrain isn’t too energy sapping. Obstacle wise, there were a few hairy ones and a few that proved beyond my level of fitness and technique. But there isn’t much to worry the average person, and elites will have probably breezed through it.

Zonal Thoughts

Zone 1 - Aztec Warrior

Kind of disappointed with this one. Can’t really remember that many obstacles except for the wall traverse and the “tunnel of meat”. Suffered a bit from being first up and having the problem of queues due to the fact that everyone hadn’t quite spaced out properly. Overall though, I didn’t get a sense of what this race is about and was generally underwhelmed by it all

GRADE: C

Zone 2 – Airfield Anarchy

Didn’t get off to the best start, with the big slide being down due to pump failure and the first major obstacle after that suffering a substantial queue. It took is well over an hour to navigate this zone and by the end it was getting a bit frustrating. Still, some good obstacles and very friendly marshals on the way round, just a shame all their eggs were in one basket.

GRADE: B-

Zone 3 – Tough Guy

I was signed up for Tough Guy earlier this year but had to pull out through injury, so I was determined to see what it was all about. It didn’t disappoint with plenty of mud, confined spaces and even a crucifixion cross thrown in for good measure (don’t worry, you carry it rather than being nailed to it). Definitely one of the best zones.

GRADE: A-

Zone 4 – Bigfoot Challenge

To be truthful, I don’t remember a great deal about the Bigfoot Challenge zone. But I do remember we nipped through it quite quickly and I also remember some of the obstacles definitely stretching my limits both physically and mentally (though bear in mind I don’t have very big limits)! It ranks slightly higher than Zone 2 as we got through it quicker, but it wasn’t as good as Tough Guy or Reaper.

GRADE: B

Zone 5 – Ram Run

Plenty of running but, to be honest, I can’t really remember any obstacles of note in this zone. I do remember plenty of running through the forest trails but a general sense of being underwhelmed struck me as we left Ram Run behind us.

GRADE: B-

Zone 6 – Reaper

Being based on the same site as Mud7 you would expect Reaper to have an advantage over the other companies, but thankfully they still stepped up to the plate. A lot of Reaper’s obstacles are permanent so they didn’t have to build much to have the same effect. Thankfully what they did build was challenging and interesting (plus very, very wet in a few places). It has always been one of my favourite races and they certainly showed up well here.

GRADE: A-

Zone 7 – Bear Grylls Survival Race

Not long enough by any stretch of the imagination. You basically had a little skip through the forest and then across some monkey bars which were too low for my usual leg-dangling technique! The final bit involved a couple of swim/wades across the lake but there wasn’t enough here. Good potential though.

GRADE: B-

Overall Thoughts

Generally I really enjoyed this race. Unfortunately we lost Nat on the day of the race as our daughter was sick during the night and she had to look after her. The three of us enjoyed the format of the event and had a cracking laugh on the way round. Not the toughest race but, considering it was a first go, there is plenty to work on and I can see Mud7 becoming a very, very good event within a few years’ time.

Overall Score

7.5 – Despite a few very odd things (a tunnel of meat for one) this was thoroughly enjoyable. Some zones fared better than others but I’d be keen to give this another go next year as there is a lot of potential to improve on what was already a pretty decent event.