Tag Archives: carers
Santa’s special detour to see young Shipdham boy
The annual Dereham Round Table Santa Sleigh made a special detour to bring a present to young Matthew Saunders, who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
Kathryn Cross Sunday, December 22, 2013 12:21 PM
Hundreds of children in the Dereham area have been given an early Christmas present with the arrival of Santa on his sleigh, thanks to the town’s Round Table group.
And he took a special detour ahead of his visit to Shipdham to see a poorly eight-year-old boy who feared ill health might force him to miss out on his annual visit.
Matthew Saunders, from Saham Toney, suffers from cystic fibrosis and normally stands by the roadside in Shipdham with his mum Chantal to see Santa. But this year he has been suffering from a lung infection which meant he could not leave the warmth of his home for very long.
However Santa was able to get Rudolph to take a slight detour to stop right outside Matthew’s house, and the youngster emerged with a massive smile across his face.
Christmas is a normal working day for us
Real people – whose time with their family is often postponed.
5:00pm Saturday 21st December 2013 in Local News By Ian Weinfass
Christmas is a normal working day for us
WHILE most of us are watching the Queen’s Speech, the Doctor Who Christmas special or tucking into our turkey but for some, it is a normal working day.
We all take it for granted that help is available for us 24 hours a days seven days a week, even on December 25.
But behind the uniform of these dedicated people, there are real people – whose time with their family is often postponed.
Barry Cryer backs The Big Issue’s Caring at Christmas campaign
Comedy titan and top chap Barry Cryer insists he’s enjoying being an oldie at Yuletide, but like The Big Issue’s Caring at Christmas campaign, he says we should spare a thought for those who are less lucky.
“Well I’m lucky, I’ve got a big plan,” the 78-year-old said. “The Big Issue knows about this – loneliness is the most awful thing. And I was spared, been dogged by good luck all my life. We’ve got four children and seven grandchildren, so it’s a big family.
“With the extended family – the in-laws and the outlaws – we’ve got huge group photographs. Very lucky. We’re going to be moving about quite a lot at Christmas. It’s a family thing and I’m so grateful for it.
“The build-up to Christmas gets to me a bit: the frenzy, the rushing about, people going, ‘Oh, I haven’t bought that present and blah blah blah.’ You can feel it in the air, you can smell it.
“I retreat a bit, back from the frenzy. But once it’s arrived I love it. It starts so early commercially, it seems they’re all cashing in very early on. But once it arrives and you pull up the drawbridge… if you’re lucky, as I am, to have a family and a whole gang… I love every minute of it.”
