#Thisgirlcan

Today was amazing. Lots of wonderful people came together to have fun, get fit and raise some money for two fantastic charities.

We managed to keep dancing for two hours thanks to the fabulous Jayne Franklin of Jayne Franklin Dance and Fitness who kept us motivated the whole time. She runs classes every Monday at 7pm at St Gabriel's Centre, see video below for a sneak peak. A huge thank you to Fiona at St Gabriel's for use of the hall. We were delighted to be visited by Richard Burden and Amy Watson to support the event, and were delighted they gave Zumba a try for the first time. 

The raffle was a great success thanks to the prizes donated including tickets for Glee Club Birmingham and Hatton Adventure World.

We raised lots of money for my two chosen causes, to protect and restore the natural environment and to prevent youth homelessness:

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country
St Basils

Thank you everyone who came. If anyone wishes to donate you can do so here at my Justgiving page.

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I've posted. Things have happened at home and at work keeping me busy ranging from a random adoption of a cat while on holiday in Wales (she needed a home and is very happy) to a leak at work resulting in the collapse of a ceiling. I've had a fantastic time in Wales where I saw beavers at the amazing Blaenionion - you should definitely go and visit Sharon there if you can.

I've seen ospreys and their chicks at Cors Dyfi run by the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, and seen loads of buzzards. I've been inspired by the amazing work of people across the UK at #Communitycamp at the Eden Project. People are amazing don't you think? They just do the most fantastic stuff, because they want to make their communities better for everyone. I've been inspired to set up a Big Lunch in my own community because of them and as a result I've started speaking to neighbours I've lived alongside for ten years but never really had much contact before.

My pretty awesome sister organised a Big Lunch in Chipping Sodbury. She doesn't do things by halves, so she shut off the main street and organised a lunch that was attended by a few thousand people including Bristol Samba Band, which was a lot of fun. To top off the day her partner proposed. Perfect.

I enjoyed all these experiences with my beautiful boys and wonderful husband.

Don't be fooled though, it's easy on social media to paint a picture of perfection and apparently that's making us all miserable so I'll bring in a bit of reality. I've been stressed at work, struggled to be a good parent especially in the face of some pretty challenging behaviour from my children, and dealt with many things badly. It's harder to talk about those but it's all part of life.

Taking part in #30dayswild helps when things are stressful though. Taking a moment every day in June to spend time in nature is something proven to make us happier.

Anyway, it's been a busy time but I haven't forgotten my fundraising pledge and my first event is on Sunday. The lovely Jayne Franklin is leading a zumbathon session for me at St Gabriel's Centre to raise money for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country, and St Basils. There will be raffle prizes including a family ticket for Hatton World and two tickets for Birmingham Glee Club, Prosecco, chocolate and more.

Zumbathon 11th June

Zumbathon - 11th June

The first event. Yippee.

Huge thanks to St Gabriel's Church Centre and Jayne Frankin.

Raffle prizes include Hatton World Family Ticket and Birmingham Glee Club tickets, Prosecco, chocolates and more.

Can you donate a prize to protect the environment and prevent youth homelessness by supporting these great causes?

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country

St Basils

It's all starting to happen

Woohoo - the first prize donations have started to arrive! (Updated)

Thank you to Hatton Adventure World for the kind donation of four entrance tickets worth £60. 

Thank you to The Glee Club  for their fantastically generous donation of not one but two sets of tickets for their Stand Up Comedy Shows at Glee Club Birmingham.

Guess the bear's name is bringing in lots of offline donations and today a generous supported pledged £50.

I'm finalising dates for the Three Peaks Challenge, early September is looking probable.

Sky diving, well, aside from making my legs turn to jelly every time I think of it, I have found a couple of great companies so will soon be booking in.

Next week my St Basils Souper Challenge begins so I will be making lots of delicious soup on Sunday.

All in all, things are happening and it's all very exciting!

Thanks to everyone for your support so far.

xxxx

Soup, Soup, Glorious Soup

What's your favourite tomato soup recipe?

I was very excited to find this in the post today. A fabulous idea from St Basils to raise money for their work to prevent youth homelessness by making and selling tomato and basil soup - a Souper challenge!

I will be making soup for next week for anyone willing to make a donation. So, what's the best tomato soup recipe? 

My fundraising friend is helping a lot as well with lots of donations to guess his name. I hope he will soon have a badger friend.

Are you up for a Three Peaks Challenge?

This year one of the main challenges I have set myself is to conquer the peaks of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. Not something I ever thought I would do to be honest but over recent years I have thought more and more about testing myself, and I’m hoping for a clear day to see some of those fabulous views.

I am planning to organise my own trip with an accredited company – I don’t want to be one of those stories you read about. You know the ones (people set off in flip flops with a slushie to climb a mountain and end up being rescued by helicopters).

So, I now have a challenge for you should you choose to accept it…

Join me on this challenge.

I will put together a training plan (there are lots out there in internet land). Most seem to start about 16 weeks before the challenge. I am hoping to organise something for the end of summer beginning of autumn to avoid very hot weather but before it gets too cold and wet. That should give us enough time.

You could choose to do the challenge for you because it’s something you want to do. You could choose to do the challenge for you and to join me in raising money for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country or you could choose to take part to raise money for a charity of your choice. Lots of options!

The cost is about £250 per person. That includes a guide, transport etc.

If you choose to raise money for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham & the Black Country you would get this money reimbursed if you raise £395 or more.

There’s lots of information out there on planning and equipment such as this site. I'll put a list together and post it soon.

If you’re a member of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham& the Black Country you will get a 10% discount at Cotswold Outdoors so that’s where I’ll be going to get the things I need.

Are you up for the challenge?

Let me know.

xxxx

Meet my fundraising pal

Introducing my St Basils Bear

This cute little chap will help with my fundraising. He is going to accompany me on all my adventures this year.

So far I have signed up to take part in St Basils Souper Challenge and St Basils Big Birmingham Sleep Out in November.

I have a zumbathon plan coming along for April/May, quizzes in production and the beginnings of plans for a Christmas cabaret, a skills auction and some open mic nights.

Let's start things off though with a good old fashioned guess the bear's name.

Can you guess the name of my new friend (it's not Basil, that's just his t-shirt)?

Let me know in the comments or email me and make sure you make a donation - to me in person if you can, or through my fundraising site at justgiving.

The winner will get some chocolates (pictured).

Thanks for your support everyone.

x x x x x

Avoiding a meltdown at 40

I was born in 1977. This year I turn 40, and I am not happy about it. I've not really worried about any birthday before but this one has been preying on my mind. Maybe it's because I can feel the weakness beginning in my knees, the aches in my knuckles, the awareness that I have already found one or two (that's all I'm admitting to for now) grey hairs. There's something about realising you've reached the brow of the hill and are going down the other side that really concentrates your thinking, or mine at least. Having my first child turn ten this year hasn't helped either.

As I approached my fortieth year I started to think about the things I've been too afraid to do and realised that probably I won't get to do them now. Not a bucket list as such, just things I've resigned myself to never really getting round to. Things like doing a sky dive - I've always said the only way I would jump out of a plane is if I was pushed; or some big physical challenge. I did the half marathon last year and to my surprise enjoyed it, but a marathon is simply not on the cards due to the aforementioned knees.

Now, I'm not a negative person although you'd be forgiven for getting that impression from the above. I think I'm fairly pragmatic; a realist but also in some respects an optimist (stubborn?). If someone tells me I can't do something, I will damn well do it (that's how I managed to pass my French A'level). I do like a challenge.

So, when I put these two thought processes together (things I will never really get round to doing + my refusal to accept there are things I can't do =) I end up here; setting myself a challenge that I am already finding rather scary.

(Deep breath here as I say it all aloud - or online, you know what I mean!)

This year I am going to do those things I have been too scared to do before. I am going to jump out of a plane (with a parachute), I am going to take on a tough physical challenge and succeed, and I am going to raise some money for charities while I am doing it.

I have set myself the challenge of raising £1,977 for two charities that I care deeply about:

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country a charity that works to protect and improve the fabulous green spaces of my adopted home, and deepen people's connection with nature.

St Basils a charity that works with young people to prevent youth homelessness.

(For the sake of transparency I should let you know that my first proper job was with St Basils as a Corporate Fundraiser a little longer ago than I care to remember. I currently work for The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country. Don't let my connection to these charities put you off; I wanted to work for them because they are doing important, amazing things that make a real difference.)

Why £1,977 you ask? Look at the name of the blog, read the above and do try to keep up dear!

I am just starting this adventure, it's going to be a busy year. I have lots of ideas and some things planned. I will keep you all updated on this blog.

I will need you to come with me (not literally, you don't have to jump out of  a plane, unless you want to). I will need your encouragement, I may need your help and I would like your money please.

If you would like to make a donation you can do it here on my crowdfunding page:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/georgia-stokes

(It's crowdfunding so I can split the money between two charities.)

Please help me avoid that midlife crisis and let's have some fun.