| 03/03/08 |
Kilimanjaro – feeling on top of the world! Ian McLaughlin, an Old Actonian with strong ties to The Samson Centre through his friendship with MSTG(G) chairman John Hambly, hit on a novel way of celebrating his 50th birthday: he approached various friends in the hope of persuading them to accompany him on a sponsored climb to the summit of Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in aid of The Samson Centre. Most of them sensibly turned him down, but he did manage to gather a party of 9 other stalwarts to make the attempt with him: Caroline Gorman, Janice Miller, Jamie Miller, Peter Tenconi, Amanda Ashton, Neil Ashcroft, Katrina Moore, Adam Wells and Tony Cordrey.  The attempt was made on the 12th February. It was extremely gruelling, and not everybody in the party made it to the top. Those who did (pictured above) were Caroline, Neil, Adam, Katrina, and, of course, Ian himself (who reports that he felt obliged to do so as he had organised the trip in the first place!). To date, the climb has raised more than £5,600 (rising to over £7,000 once GiftAid contributions are taken into account), and the event's JustGiving online fundraising page is still open for donations. It's a wonderful boost for the Centre’s coffers, and one for which we are very grateful. Ian, we can only admire you for the deprivation you and your team endured for Samson, so graphically described in your own account of the climb. Just imagine – no beer for 26 hours! 
Follow this link for Ian’s account of the trip.
|
| 16/02/08 |
Farnborough RFC – Sponsored Match The Samson Centre seems to have been taken to the hearts of yet another rugby club: thanks to the efforts of Samson fitness instructor Claire Hubbard and her daughter Lauren, Farnborough RFC hosted a sponsored match between their own and Chiswick’s veterans’ sides, at which £150 was raised for the Centre. In addition, thanks to some determined post-match networking by Claire and Lauren, during which they discovered they were talking to the club's chairman, the Samson Centre is to become the club's primary charity. Well done to both of them, and thanks to all at Farnborough RFC.
Read Claire’s own account of the event
|
| 09/02/08 |
Treble Clef Concert Those who were unable to attend the concert at St. John’s Church Milford on Saturday 9th given by the Treble Clef Ladies Choir in aid of the Samson Centre and St. John’s Church missed a rare treat. Several MSTG(G) members confessed afterwards that they’d secretly been dreading the evening, expecting it to consist of some terribly highbrow operatic shrieking by earnest sopranos, and had gone along primarily to support the cause. Boy, were they in for a pleasant surprise! Over 40 members of the choir gave up their evening to perform, under the baton of Musical Director Christine Best, and accompanied by Emma Hawksley. The programme covered a wide spectrum of music, with something for all tastes. It included the traditional ("Swing low, sweet chariot", "Bonny at morn", "Jamaica farewell"), a selection of music from shows such as "Chicago", "Blood Brothers" and "The King and I", and classical pieces by Mozart, Fauré and Rutter. Common to all the pieces were the beautiful harmonies and richness of sound produced by the ladies, aided and abetted by the excellent accoustics of the church. Although the evening was billed as a performance by the Treble Clef Ladies Choir, the audience were also treated to a bonus in the form of a selection of ballads from guest soloist Aidan Carroll of the Weybridge Male Voice Choir. The entire evening was a joyous celebration of music - and it also raised money for the Samson Centre and St. John’s Church. What more could one ask? Our heartfelt thanks go to the Treble Clef Choir’s Chris Cox, without whose help the concert could not have taken place, the choir themselves, Aidan, and all those at the church who helped - especially the hard workers who kept us all lubricated with wine during the interval! |
| 02/02/08 |
Deal or no Deal - the sequel Readers of this page will remember that, as well as the money he won appearing on Channel 4's quiz programme "Deal or No Deal", MSTG(G) Chairman (and rugby fanatic) John Hambly also received a personal message from his hero, England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, together with an invitation to watch the squad training and two tickets to one of this year's Six Nations matches at Twickenham. The opportunity to go to Twickenham came on the 2nd February, when England played Wales. John, accompanied by long-time Samson Centre supporter Glenn Karpeta, could hardly have been closer to the action – as the photos show, any closer and they would actually have been playing on the wing! Unfortunately, the quality of England’s play left a lot to be desired that day – after a promising first half when they led 16–6 and looked like racking up an impressive score against the visitors, they lost the plot in the second half, leaving Wales the unexpected, but totally deserving, winners by 26 points to 19. However, the result didn’t stop John and Glenn having a fantastic time. We look forward to hearing John’s own account of the day.  |
| 16/01/08 |
Christmas lunch – postscript The following note has been received from the Samson Centre’s fitness instructor, Claire Hubbard:
"I was keeping a careful eye on those of you who had too much Christmas pud, and will be speaking to you very sternly when you next visit the gym. You have been warned!"
|
| 06/01/08 |
Christmas lunch Proving that it’s never too late for Christmas cheer, the MSTG(G) and the MS Society’s Guildford branch joined forces for a splendid Christmas lunch at the Samson Centre on the 6th January. More than 100 members of both groups put their names down, and they weren't disappointed. The hall looked a treat, with tables laid with white linen cloths and bedecked with aromatic candles, crackers and party poppers. Peter Morley and his team of helpers once again came up trumps (how does he do it?) and produced a veritable feast, with a main course choice of turkey, beef or salmon – accompanied by no fewer than 7 vegetables! Those who could manage it followed this with Christmas pud, profiteroles or apple pie. The serving was done by a hard-working team of youngsters, including the daughters of James Hall, Claire Hubbard and John Hambly. The latter welcomed everyone to the centre (and presented organiser Jackie Drake with a bouquet of flowers by way of thanks). Special guests included Alan Atkinson, Regional Chairman of the Surrey & Sussex branch of the MS Society, and his wife Jackie, and former Mayor of Guildford and staunch supporter of the Samson Centre Bill Bellerby and his wife Doreen. Quizzes provided by Cathy West, of the Wey Kayak Club, and Helen Bell, Chair of the Guildford branch of the MS Society, added to the fun (as did volunteer barman David Kitching’s splendid waistcoat!). All in all, the event was a great success, thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended it. Many thanks to joint organisers Jackie Drake and Helen Bell for all their efforts.
Read Helen Bell’s account of the event
|