Who Ate All The Pies

With a Pie & Pea Dinner and a Halloween bake sale, we have certainly given up counting the calories here at Churchill!

Amanda and her amazing team of bakers put on a spooky spread and managed to raise an amazing £172.53

Last week we also had one of Lorna's famours Pie & Pea lunches! At £2 a pop there was smiles all round!

With thanks to Lorna and the team in the canteen, we raised £212.50 pushing our total to £41,975.74

Thank you to everyone for their continued support and generosity. 

Further donations for our Dougie Mac challenge..

Paul Tighe, an Alchemy Kiln Operative, is seen below giving  his manager, Graham Robinson, a £50 donation towards our Dougie Mac challenge.

We are all not only grateful to Paul for the donation, but proud of him as well. He has managed to save this money since he has recently given up smoking! 

A great effort, well done Paul!!

And thanks again to all of you for your continued support.

WE DID IT!!!!

In Churchill tradition, bring a £1 to work today had a few added twists. With cake sales and quizzes – Friday 11th October was no ordinary day in the office! 

Cakes were very generously donated by Alastair Machin’s Mum, and went down a treat in the office. As always, all donations to our Dougie Mac fund. 

The same goes for our picture quiz. Special thanks to Kristina Henderson and Heather Taylor for taking the time to arrange this – and congratulations to the winners....TOP BANANA!

 So although the day was a little bit bananas, and people were acting a little like clowns...

 It was a great success and we managed to beat our £40,000 target!

 Our total now stands at £40.007.24

Many thanks to all involved and for everybody’s generosity, we couldn't have done it without you!!!!

With lots more to look forward to and more fundraising events lined up in the coming months, lets keep up the good work and keep doing it for Dougie!

Lots to look forward to at Churchill HQ....

So there is a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks here at Churchill HQ. This weekend is Churchill’s trip to Blackpool and next week is the annual Bring a £1 to work day. Following Churchill’s tradition, this will be a fancy dress day which was an amazing success last year, with all of the team getting involved!!

We will also be holding a Halloween cake sale on 31^st October, be sure to get there early as this event is always a sell out with Amanda and her team working hard to get their perfect bakes (with no soggy bottoms!)

If anyone would like to volunteer please contact Amanda Goodwin.

The Churchill Fishing Competition was won by Phil Holmes, thank you to John Price who organised it. This event was such a hit that we are looking into making this an annual event.

A big thank you should also go to our planning department. Over the past months they have been running the bonus ball and have raised £640 towards our Dougie challenge. Thank you to everybody has taken part in this! This event will hopefully be making a return around Christmas time so please continue to support our Dougie Mac challenge and our helpful volunteers - http://www.justgiving.com/DoingItForDougie

Our total now stands at £38491.63, only £1508.37 to go!

Thank you again for your continued support.

WEARING IT YELLOW FOR DOUGIE!

So Friday 13th saw Dougie Mac attempting to break the world record for the number of people dressed as Sunflowers. As always, Churchill were  involved by putting a different spin on dress down Friday ...WEARING IT YELLOW FOR DOUGIE!

Donations were collected and we have made another £48 going towards our £40,000 challenge!

This weekend Churchill also held their very own carboot sale here at head office. Thank you everyone who supported & helped at the car boot sale on Sunday especially, for  braving the awful weather conditions. 

Unfortunately we had to give up after a very blustery morning but it wasn't a complete wash out!

With £150 going towards our target, this was a great effort by all! A special thank you to our cups shop girls - Andrea Salt & Linda Taylor, along with Frank Brownsill & Stan Hollingshead

Thanks again for you continued support.

Follow our progress at http://www.justgiving.com/DoingItForDougie

Churchills sizzling success - BBQ sales boost our total to £36,146.33

Well we may not have been blogging for a while but we have certainly been busy at Churchill HQ, continuing to raise money for our Churchill Charity Challenge. With all proceeds going to the Dougie Mac, the support we have been given continues to amaze us all and we cannot thank you enough for your efforts. 

Last week also saw another successful ware sale in the factory where employees here at Churchill made donations and managed to raise £288.92. 

This in addition to last weeks summer BBQ which was a sizzling success - With the sun shining over Churchill, our hotdogs and burgers went down a treat and were enjoyed by all! Evans & Sons butchers & Lorna in the canteen very generously donated all of the food for this event and we managed to raise £200!!

Back by popular demand, we also had the toast service last week! The accounts team very kindly volunteered to run the Toast Service again, with a special treat on the friday of cheesey oatcakes - thank you to Elizabeth and her band of helpers for organising this and helping to raise an amazing £82.54 

We have several events coming up - volunteers & participants are as always needed.

On Sunday 15th September between 8.00am - 1.00pm we will be holding a car boot sale on site. It will be £5 per car with the full amount being donated to Dougie Mac, this could be the opportunity you need to clear out the loft or shed & make some money for yourselves, or just come along and see if you can grab yourself a bargain!

Other upcoming events include our Churchill trip to Blackpool. This has been a huge success and tickets to this have now SOLD OUT!!! Special thanks must go to Jeannie who has arranged this trip!

Ross Jones will be running the Bristol Half Marathon on 15th September, he has already got £190 sponsorship and has promised that if we can get him up to £200 he will do a 2nd half marathon. Je only needs a further £10 so if you wish to see Ross go through the agony of 2 half marathons then please lets get him up to at least  £200 and visit his just giving page - http://www.justgiving.com/Ross-Jones1

We will have a stall selling mugs at Stone Food & Drink Festival 4-6th October if anyone would like to help please do get in touch!

Friday 11th October is bring a £1 to work day as per last year we will be planning fancy dress, themes are to be announced shortly so watch this space!

Our total now stands at an amazing £36,146.33 , only another £3853.67 to go!!!

Keep your eyes peeled for further announcements of upcoming events!

For any further donations please visit http://www.justgiving.com/DoingItForDougie

Thank you again for your continued support and generosity!

Mug Sales Boost Dougie Mug Total to over £33,563

Sales of the specially designed mugs have helped to boost the fundraising total by £520 this week to an impressive £33,563.27 - pretty amazing effort by all so far!

The sales continue to come in from all over the city and we still have mugs available. So if you know anyone who may like one or would be able to sell them on our behalf please do get in touch. 

The mugs cost just £5 each, are made in Churchill's factory and feature the heartwarming slogan 'Life sets no paths ..... just follow your heart' and show the runners who helped contribute to the mammoth Charity Challenge relay from Stoke to London.

Team Effort Closing in on the Target

It has been another great week for adding to our total, which now stands at an amazing £33,033.27 thanks to a tremendous all round team effort.

In addition to the mug sales from local companies that continue to come in a big thank you goes to Ang Kelly, Lynn Parry & Denise Shaw for organising the bingo which again has been very well received and enjoyed by all who have taken part

We are continuing our tour of local events and supermarkets selling our mugs and if you get time please pop along and support the team this weekend at Morrisons Milehouse and Tescos Trent Vale.

Also on 23rd & 27th July we will be at Dougie Mac Hospice open gardens event and on 28th the Tunstall Carnival thank you to all our volunteers.

If you have any thoughts on how we can get even closer to our target please do share as we're always looking for fresh ideas.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Weekly Round Up

Dave and his 'Wimbledon Wags'

Emily & Maria

With the sun shining on Churchill HQ this week, it has boosted everyone's spirits for a warmer summer, as well as the doing it for Dougie total. Raising £1,067.46 throughout the week this now brings the total up to £31,623.27.

Last Friday we had a lovely Wimbledon themed day. Paying fines for dressing down we had a gang of 'Wimbledon Wags' all dressed in their finery. We also had a number of players and an umpire dotted around the office! In keeping with the theme, strawberries and cream were served, which went down a storm. Thanks to all for your donations and outfit efforts.

Katie, Dave and Sarah

Thank you to Julie Sturge & Heather Keeling for going to Morrisons Festival Park on Monday selling our mugs. This weekend Andrew Lawton & Graham Robinson will be at the Pets at Home Funday selling mugs. If you are in the area please  go along to support them. We are still welcoming suggestions on where to sell the mugs so if anyone knows of any events then please let us know.

Tennis Players James, Sharon,
Emily and Bradders

Get your dabbers at the ready, as the eagerly anticipated return of the Bingo is happening this week. On Thursday there will be a game held for the factory staff and Friday will see the office staff battling it out to win the prize. 

There are still tickets left for the Blackpool trip, but be sure to get yours soon as they are selling out fast. If you want to go, get your £10 to either Jeanne or Personnel. 

Please remember to sponsor Ross Jones for his half Marathon. He currently has £145 in sponsorship and has promised if we get him to £200 that he will run a second half marathon! So please visit his Just Giving Page to make a donation.

We are creeping ever closer to our £40,000 target. With lots of fun filled events planned for the rest of the year, please do continue to help us sell our mugs & reach our target.

On another note, this will be my last blog post as I am leaving Churchill today! I have loved writing this blog so I hope it lives on. The best of luck with the rest of your fundraising ventures, you are all so supportive and it doesn't cease to amaze me how generous you all are! 
Its been emotional! Signing off, Amy x

Ice Cream Sale Scoops Tasty Total

Sharon, Jo and Elizabeth, scoops at the ready!

The Accounts team have done it again! Through the sale of an array of delicious ice creams, the team raised a total of £92.85. With the weather being so glorious this week it couldn't have been better timing, with most of the flavours selling out quicker than you can say ice cream cone! 

Well done to the team on another successful fundraising venture! It was certainly a welcome lunch time treat for all. 

Toast!

The dream team

Last week's toast service proved a very popular addition to the fundraising challenge. A total of £74.61 was raised throughout the week from sales of toast with a choice of jam or marmalade. 

Jim and Duncan did a fantastic job on Friday, although there were reports of sparse spread...maybe one to improve on boys!

A big thank you though to the accounts team for dedicating their time and efforts this week. It has been much appreciated by all. 

Due to popular demand, the Accounts team ice cream sale is making a comeback this week. I'm sure this will be very popular with the weather being so nice! These will be on sale Wednesday 10th July, 12.30 - 2pm costing a pound each. 

Just under £10,000 to go!

This week has seen the £30,000 fundraising mark 'Aced'. The total now stands at a huge £30, 555.81. Once again, thank you to everyone that has contributed so far. We still need some ideas to push that total up to the all important £40,000 so keep them coming in.

Sharon and Elizabeth, from accounts, with their
spreads at the ready!

This weeks activities have included the hugely popular return of the toast service. Serving hot buttered toast with Jam or Marmalade for just 25p (not forgetting 5p per spread additional charge), the Accounts team have been dishing out toast quicker than they can get the bread in the toaster! A big thanks to the team for giving up their time this week. Make sure you all get your toast tomorrow as the dream team, Jim and Duncan, will be donning their aprons to serve the masses.

Don't forget that it is the Wimbledon themed dress down day on Friday. So make sure you press your tennis dresses ready for the occasion. There will be Strawberries and cream served in the afternoon in true Wimbledon style. Also, not forgetting the Wimbledon sweepstakes, organised by Steve Brown. Good luck to those who pulled the remaining players out of the hat, winners will receive £24 both for the Men's and Women's draw, with £48 going into the pot for Dougie Mac.

Once again, a big thank you to Mrs Paula Parkinson for her tremendous efforts organising the Bonus Ball each week! Good luck to all who have entered

This Saturday, we have a team at Morrisons Festival Park selling the mugs, so if you are in the area, pop in to show your support. If anyone knows of any other events that we could sell the mugs at please let Ann know. 

Helen Blackburn has managed to get Team Churchill onto Signal 1's workplace challenge this week. The team has so far done really well and are ahead of the other entrants. With 1 days to go it is looking promising! If the team win this week, this prize will be raffled off to raise further funds for Dougie Mac. Show your support by tuning in around 11am tomorrow, the fighting talk is definitely out now! 

Finally, our very own Ross Jones, will be running the Bristol Half Marathon on September 15th for Dougie Mac. Please show your support by sponsoring him through his Just Giving Page. 

Doing it for Dougie Update

Due to technical difficulties we have been unable to blog for a while, but now we are back online we have one mammoth update for you! The past few weeks have been filled with lots of fundraising initiatives, with plenty of money being raised!

The concert held at the Leopard, Burslem, where we were entertained by Dave Whitehouse's group Don't Eat at Joes, raised over £1000! A big thank you to Dave & all the musicians, Michelle the landlady and all of our lovely employees who went along to support the event - it was a tremendous amount.

We have had a number of different teams out and about selling mugs at various places around the area. Rose and Michelle had an excellent day at Tesco Trent Vale selling 53 mugs in just 4 hours plus collecting over £240 worth of donations! A big well done and thank you to them. Sue Chapman and family visited Stone Festival selling 29 mugs, and collected £70.07 in donations. Claire and Steffi pitched up in Asda Wolstanton and raised £135. We also had Julie Sturge and daughter, Helen and Harry at Sainsburys Biddulph and Elizabeth, Cate and Lizzie were out at Morrisons Newcastle all selling the fabulous mugs. Finally, Jan and Helen Mosley attended the Keele Dougie Mac Lunch promoting the mugs. A big thank you to all.

John Hewitt

IPS ceramics have sent us an update on the whereabouts of their Dougie Mac Mugs. They asked John Hewitt from Hygan sponges to have his picture taken with his when he went up the 600m Canton tower in Guangzhou South China. Apparently, the mug isn't at the end of its travels as it is heading to America next!!

The Ice Cream Team

Once again, office and factory staff have been very supportive in reaching that all important £40,000 target. Elizabeth Heeks and team of ice cream sellers set too serving staff with a tasty selection of ice creams. Offering a choice of flavours and toppings, they were a real hit, ensuring they raised a great total of £124.94. Thank you to all who supported. 

With all these activities this takes us to a huge total of £29,557.81! We now only have just over £10,000 to raise until we hit the grand total! A massive thankyou to everyone of their continued efforts doing it for Dougie. If anyone has any more suggestions on fundraising activities then please do pass on your ideas. 

Keep up to date with the total on our Just Giving page.

Churchill Mountaineers Did it for Dougie!

A massive well done goes out to the Churchill team of walkers who conquered Scarfell Pike on Saturday.

The going was tough, but like a pack of billy goats, the team scrambled the 13 miles to the top of the mountain and back. Lead by team leader Brian McMahon; Vanessa Carter, Kelly Barber, Sarah Dennis, Lois Humphrey, Amanda Goodwin and Sharon Heap all pulled together to make the climb for Dougie. 

Whilst the rest of us were enjoying the sunshine, the team faced cold weather conditions and even snow at the top of the mountain! With these freezing conditions, rocky footing and sheer drops, the team really had to overcome their fears to get to the highest point in England. 

It is still not too late to sponsor the team for their challenge. To say well done, you can donate at: www.justgiving.com/teams/doingitfordougie.

          

Raffle Winners

And the winners are........

Winner Kevin Ferguson

Congratulations to Kevin Ferguson from the warehouse, who wins a Float Day and the runners up: Paul Owen from Manufacturing, Caroline Fowles from the Factory Shop and Dave Shingler from the Glost Warehouse. They all win a cuddly toy! 

Congratulations to all and thanks to everyone who entered. 

Dave Shingler chose a
Giant Shark as his prize

Paul Owen with his prize

Weekly Update

After last week's amazing effort, the funds are still rolling in. Raising a further £1,772, the total now stands at £23,799.24. 

Last week saw a team of volunteers collecting at the Regent Theatre. Thank you and well done goes out to all of our volunteers. They all had great fun with the visitors and managed to get a few interesting snaps...

Diane, Janet and Helen

The Manufacturing team, Paul Owen & Peter Gibson brought home £140, however they were beaten by Helen Moseley & James Morgan who collected more than £165, but thanks should also go to everyone who gave up their evenings to collect for the challenge.


This week we are holding a raffle on the factory for 1 days holiday & a variety of soft toys donated by Potteries Plating. We also have a team of volunteers at Tescos Trent Vale on Saturday 1st June selling the mugs. 

This weekend there is a night of music organised at the Leopard in Burslem on Saturday when Dave Whitehouse & his group will be performing, it's sure to be a great night so get yourselves down!

The big event thought will be the marketing teams climb of Scarfell Pike on Saturday - good luck to them all! 

Next weekend our Dining In marketing team we will be at Asda Wolstanton and Sue Chapman will be at Stone Festival selling the mugs.
Again, thank you all for your efforts this week. 

Peter & Paul

Cara & Steffi

Scarfell Pike Climb

On Saturday 1st June, sherpa Brian McMahon will be leading an intrepid team of marketeers, including Sharon Heap, Vanessa Carter, Kelly Barber, Sarah Dennis, Amanda Goodwin, Lois Humphrey & Sophie Davies on a climb up Scarfell Pike, the highest point in England & not an easy climb, to raise funds for Dougie Mac.

We know that everybody has been so generous over the last few week but this is an amazing challenge and we want to ask you all again to dig deep to support them.

Please sponsor either by filling in one of their sponsor forms or going to our Just
Giving Page at www.justgiving.com/DoingItForDougie

We all wish them every success with the challenge!

Live Music Night for Dougie Mac

Get yourselves down to The Leopard Hotel in Burslem this Saturday for an evening of live music. Churchill's very own Dave Whitehouse is providing the entertainment, so if you're interested you can get a ticket from him. For only £1.50, it's guaranteed to be a fantastic night. 

Eyes Down for Dougie

One of last week's biggest highlights of the fundraising week was undoubtedly the bingo. A sell out event, this will definitely become a regular feature of the fundraising events! Congratulations to winners Dave Whitehouse & Claire Gleave who both won.

Packed out event

Bingo Callers Lynn and Denise

Winner Dave Whitehouse

Second bingo sitting

Winner Claire Gleave