Passionate Blog

Magical memories from the Palace for Compton guests

THREE people from Compton Hospice enjoyed a magical evening with the Queen as they joined guests celebrating the 25th anniversary of Help the Hospices at St James' Palace.

Jane Rowley, principal social worker, former matron Roz Kensey and Gerrard Paris, former trustee, were nominated to go along to the event on behalf of Compton.

Help the Hospices, the leading charity supporting hospice care throughout the UK, was founded 25 years ago by the Duchess of Norfolk, who was among the 600 guests at the celebration last month.

Other guests included business people, politicians and entertainers, as well as staff and volunteers from hospices across the UK.

The charity has 182 members, all local charities themselves and rooted in the communities they serve.

Jane Rowley said the event had been “magical” and a wonderful experience from the minute they had entered the palace, to the sound of harp music.

British bloggers set for VIP Disney trip

A GROUP of British 'mummy bloggers' has been invited to sample the delights of Walt Disney World, Florida, and Passionate Media director Linda Jones is among them.

The trip, later this month, has been made possible by the Think Parents network, overseen by the award-winning Digital Outlook marketing agency.

Linda has been invited because of her work on the twins and multiple births blog, You've got your hands full. Most of Passionate Media's team have ventured to new (and sometimes faraway) places on press trips in days gone by, - with Helen already visiting Disney for a week with the Express & Star - so it'll be interesting to see how this one differs! Thank you to Kerry Power from Digital Outlook and Disney's PR team for making this opportunity possible.

A Passionate presence in The Guardian

THANKS to writer and broadcaster Laura Marcus who included our experience in a piece for The Guardian on Saturday about how couples can get on after redundancy.

Neil and Linda shared their experience in the hope of helping others look to a potentially brighter future.

"Losing your job can be the turning point; a spur for you to go on to better things, achieve triumph out of adversity," says Neil.

Linda adds: "I would encourage couples to look beyond the panic redundancy inevitably brings."

You can read the full piece here.

Optician Mike sets sights on charity bike ride

WE'D like to wish Mike Cody well, as he prepares to take on a 270-mile cycling challenge in aid of two great charities.

Mike, a director of Colin Lee Opticians, hopes to ride off-road from Sunderland on the east coast, across to Whitehaven on the west, and then back again, in just four days.

He is riding with four friends, and raising money for Breast of Friends, a local breast cancer charity which has been supporting Linda Lee, co-founder of Colin Lee Opticians and a fellow director, during her illness, and Vision Aid Overseas, which is helping to improve eye care in developing countries.

The 43-year-old joined the board of directors at Colin Lee Opticians during the firm’s 30th anniversary last year.

He has worked for the company since 1992, when he joined as manager of the Rugeley practice, and is now in charge of the company’s contact lens division, covering all seven practices, in Rugeley, Burntwood, Lichfield, Tamworth, Aldridge, Great Barr and Ward End.

Putting you in the picture: Someone Once Told me comes to Passionate Media

WHAT'S the most inspiring, fun, or profound thing that anyone ever told you?

On Wednesday, May 13, we can help you tell the world!

 

Photographer Mario Cacciottolo from the wonderful Someone Once Told Me website is coming to our offices to take pictures to add to his stunning collection.

 

SOTM chronicles things that we've heard in our lives, messages and expressions that have stuck in our  head, for reasons both obvious and odd.