Combined March 26 jw v2 - Flipbook - Page 15
Community update Hayling Herald
Rowing for First Responders
THE community came together in an extraordinary show of support for a 12-hour rowing
fundraiser for Hayling Island Community
First Responders.
The event took place outside Whistler’s Fish &
Chips, where friends, family, staff, children, local
residents and supporters took turns on a rowing
machine from 8am to 8pm.
Together they raised more than £1,000 with
donations still coming in
Across the full 12 hours, participants rowed a
total of 133,236 metres — the equivalent of 83
miles – symbolically rowing from Hayling Island
to the Cherbourg Peninsula.
The day was filled with cheering, laughter and
celebration, with supporters lining the pavement,
families encouraging rowers, and spontaneous
dancing breaking out in the street as the community rallied behind the cause.
Emma-Jane Dorey, managing director of Whistler’s Fish & Chips, said: ‘What we witnessed was
incredible. Friends, family, children, staff and
members of the public all gave their time and
energy for something bigger than themselves.
‘The Community First Responders are volunteers
who save lives in our community, and seeing so
many people show up for them was genuinely
emotional.’
A spokesperson for Hayling Island Community
First Responders added: ‘The team at Hayling
First Responders are incredibly grateful to Emma
for organising this event and to everyone in the
community who came out to show their support.’
Hayling Island Community First Responders
are trained volunteers who provide rapid emer-
gency first aid, often arriving at incidents before
an ambulance.
All funds raised will go directly towards supporting their work in the local area.
In addition to the rowing challenge, a large
raffle is now underway featuring prizes donated
by local businesses.
Men’s Shed
By Nik Nickerson
MANY people say to me how depressing the world has become. Politics,
the weather, their financial situation or lack of employment. It’s true,
the world, the country and our lives have become very grey.
Only this week two of our Shedders passed on and we shall miss them
greatly and we feel deeply for their relatives. I am not going to use the tired
cliché that we have lost members of our Shed family, we can never be family, but we are all colleagues and friends.
Our meetings in the Shed have provided us with many happy moments
together. At our age we are aware of our own mortality and that of those
around us. You know, in its own way that awareness makes the relationship
between Shed members all the more special and important.
It is important to meet, to talk, to share a cup of tea and to revel in the
banter. Some of our members are veterans, others are retired members of
the emergency services, others have helped families, loved ones and even
strangers through life and they have all seen or known hard times.
I would like to ask each reader of this community paper to recognise the
charities on the Island, who, like ourselves, do what they can to make life
tolerable for those who just want interaction with another human being to
give them some meaning in life. Please don’t underestimate how important
you are – to others.
There is always something going on at the Shed. To find out more, visit
himensshed.org.uk or email Haylingshed@hotmail.com. Alternatively, pop
by to the Hollow Lane workshop Monday to Friday between 10am or 1pm.
You can also call 02394 005160 / 07732 391035
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