This month we celebrate our 5th birthday and we want to say a huge thank you to our amazing local community for all your support and help over the years.
We started out as Hattie’s Heroes, a community rallying to support our founder Katie’s own family’s childhood cancer journey.
In 2018 we took flight as Gold Geese with the aim of
- supporting every local child affected by cancer and
- encouraging more people to recognise the signs and symptoms as they can be similar to other childhood illnesses
Over the last five years we’ve helped over 100 local families affected by childhood cancer, increased awareness of signs and symptoms of childhood cancer and boosted local blood donation and stem cell registrations.
You power us so we can be there for families and we’re so grateful.
A special thank you to the Paediatric Community Nurse team, especially Connie for her referrals and support, and Neptune Ward’s Play Specialist Clare Gentry for maintaining contact between us and the families that need us.
Highlights from the last five years
We rely on community support and fundraising and we’re sharing some highlights on our Instagram and Facebook pages this month, including
- our annual Go Gold campaign where local shops and schools turn Gold in September
- turning a c2c train Gold
- our much-loved Christmas Grotto
- Nuclear Races mud run, golf days, bike rides
- events at The Hatch, The Boundary and Leigh Community Centre.
One highlight is Charlie’s Gig, held in 2018 in honour of a local teenager who needed a bone marrow transplant.
Charlie was a keen musician and we worked with him to encourage local people to register as potential bone marrow donors while he was waiting for his own transplant.
Charlie played like a rock star and headlined his own gig, organised by Gold Geese, just days before heading into hospital for weeks of isolation, to endure huge doses of chemotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant.
We produced printed memorabilia with Charlie’s slogan, festival wristbands for all the fans – some of which are still worn! – and confetti cannons to top off the lasers and smoke machines.
Charlie sadly passed away and is sorely missed by so many, every day. His family will always have our love and support.
Another family sharing their experience this month is local mum Sam whose daughter Piper was diagnosed with lymphoma.
She said:
“When Piper was diagnosed with cancer it was the worst day of our lives, everything changed from that day. With all the bad moments we’ve had, we’ve also had some good and life brought us Katie and Gold Geese and I’ll be forever grateful.
“Gold Geese have provided us with shopping vouchers and hotel stays so we can all be together during lengthy hospital stays. They also provided days out for us, which are equally important because those days we can feel like a ‘normal’ family. Just receiving these kind gestures and help really does alleviate some of the stress and pressure that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
“The support that Gold Geese provide means so much to so many people going through such horrific and life-changing times.”
If you’d like to give us a birthday gift you can donate here.
- A donation of £20 could provide toys or comfy new pyjamas for a child with cancer staying in hospital
- £45 funds an hour’s counselling session for a bereaved family
- £280 funds a memorial bench for a child who has passed away
- £400 funds a big end of treatment celebration for friends and family
- £700 covers the cost of a weekend away for a family to offer respite
#weflytogether
