New
Charity partner
Macmillan Cancer Support
in Sussex is thrilled to have
been nominated and chosen
by staff at Mayo Wynne
Baxter for their charity of the
year for 2014 and 2015.
Devastatingly, since Macmillan were
last featured in Re: the figures of those
affected by cancer in Sussex have risen
to 24 people being diagnosed with
cancer every day and 13 people passing
away from cancer, every day.
Macmillan’s work in Sussex is varied
and far reaching and sadly with cancer
affecting one in two people and one in
four of those people feeling that they are
alone and without support during this
time, Macmillan’s care has never been
more crucial within our community. Our
mission is to ensure that no one affected
by cancer in Sussex, faces it alone,
especially with the estimation that by
2030 the number of people living with
cancer in Sussex will fill the Brighton
and Hove Albion’s football stadium four
and a half times, that’s a 99% increase
in one generation!
With statistics like thi s it’s a cause which
affects us all and will play a large part
in the motivation for fundraising within
the firm. Macmillan fundraising staff
are on hand to offer help, advice and
support to all those wishing to contribute
to the fundraising for the charity
whether it be; holding a Worlds Biggest
Coffee Morning, running a marathon,
organising a sponsored walk or bike
ride, sweep stakes, taking part in the
Macmillan Lottery and many more new
ideas and initiatives. Varied volunteer
opportunities within the community are
also available and much needed help is
always appreciated!
Sarah Coxhill, Sussex Macmillan
Fundraising Manager says “Mayo
Wynne Baxter are well known and highly
respected for their community spirit and
play an extensive role with local causes
in Sussex. To have been chosen by staff
as their charity of the year is incredible
for us, we truly appreciate the support
for our cause and we look forward to
working closely with employees to raise
much needed funds and awareness
across the county. Cancer is one of the
toughest fights most of us will ever have
to face and undoubtedly, the impact of
working with such a large, supportive
and prominent firm will mean that
Macmillan’s services will reach a larger
number of people affected by cancer in
Sussex, and that underpins everything
that we’re trying to do”!
Through our partnership, Macmillan
hope to raise awareness of our services
to all staff and wider networks of Mayo
Wynne Baxter, with 174 Macmillan
professionals across the county
offering advice on; clinical nurse
specialists, welfare benefits, palliative
care management, wig management,
counselling and support groups
available to anyone affected by cancer.
22
The Sussex Appeal to build the FIRST
Macmillan Cancer Support Centre in
Brighton has been very prominent within
the community over the last few years,
and we were thrilled to have raised
enough funds to start the build on the
11th of March this year.
The Sussex Macmillan Cancer
Support Centre will be completed by
the summer of 2015 and will service
the entire county with a safe, non
clinical environment, accessible to
all those affected by cancer and offer
comprehensive advice, information
and support from health and social
care professionals, financial advice,
complementary therapies, a wig salon,
nutritional advice, support groups,
counselling and access to many
friendly faces who can help share the
load. A service like this will make an
immeasurable difference to those in
Sussex who face the devastating news
of a cancer diagnosis.
However, we still need to raise over £1
million to complete this build and are
appealing to those in the community to
get in touch to help us achieve this.
Macmillan also offers free essential
work and cancer toolkits to
companies, which contains practical
advice, top tips and guidance for
HR professionals, managers and
employees. It has been created to
ensure that people affected by cancer
are effectively supported, should they
wish to remain in or return to work. At
Macmillan, we know that employers
play a pivotal role in supporting
people with cancer and their carers.
By implementing small changes,
employers can make a real difference
to the lives of employees who’ve been
affected by cancer.
The story of the
Snowdrop
When I heard about Lewes having an
avalanche I was excited that the town
would have had that amount of snow. I
was disappointed that we had not had
any significant snow this winter, in fact,
when we came to the end of March I felt
really let down by the weather as I love
to go out in the snow and have a quick
slide on the Downs sitting on my black
dustbin liner (yes all the mod cons) - it’s
always such fun but alas, when it starts
to melt I have a need to want more snow.
I love the winter as sad as that might
sound to some of you but I think it may
be because I was born in the month
of January there is something which
adheres me to the cold winter months
well that’s my theory anyway.
I thought I would find out more about
the Lewes avalanche and to my surprise
I was shocked to find out that eight
local people had lost their lives on that
awful dark December day back in 1836.
Apparently the winter of 1836-1837 was
exceptionally severe across the whole of
Great Britain with heavy snow, gale force
winds and freezing temperatures being
recorded in some locations all around
the country.
at high-risk and were advised to leave
their homes until the danger had passed,
but for their own reasons they chose to
ignore the warning.
On Tuesday morning 27th December
the cornice collapsed more extensively,
producing an enormous avalanche of
accumulated snow directly onto Boulder
Row. According to an eye witness the
mass appeared to strike the cottages first
at the base, heaving them upwards and
then breaking over them like a gigantic
wave. There was nothing but a mound of
pure white.
A rescue operation by townspeople
succeeded in pulling seven survivors
from the wreckage of the cottages
before hypothermia could claim them,
but eight other individuals were found
dead. Their names are recorded on a
commemorative tablet on the inside
wall of South Malling parish church,
where the funeral and burials took place.
Amongst the survivors was two-yearold Fanny Boakes and the white dress
she was wearing when rescued was
preserved and is now in the Anne of
Cleve’s House museum in Lewes.
This avalanche remains the deadliest
avalanche on record in the United
Kingdom. A public house called the
Snowdrop Inn (named in commemoration
of the incident) was built in South Street
on the site once occupied by Boulder
Row and still trades under the same
name today.
The Snowdrop is not one of the public
houses I have been in much (I’ve been
in a few though as Lewes is full of them)
but I shall certainly be thinking of those
poor unfortunate people next time I am in
there sitting in a quiet corner I shall raise
a glass in memory of them.
So when the snow falls and we can all
go out and enjoy ourselves we should
perhaps remember that this all so
inviting beautiful white snowflake fluffy
stuff can have a brutal side to it but then
we mustn’t let that stop us having fun
because that’s the upside for us but what
a shame the folk in Boulders Row didn’t
take heed to that all so important advice.
By Vivien Barker
Very heavy snowfall began across South
East England and in particular over the
South Downs during late December and
continued over the Christmas period.
Strong winds at the same time created
blizzard conditions with snowdrifts over
ten feet high in some areas of Lewes.
Cliffe Hill has a precipitously sloping
western edge. A significant build-up of
snow was observed falling from the top
of the hill into a timber yard which was
close to the Boulder Row cottages a row
of seven flimsily constructed workers’
cottages. The inhabitants of the
cottages were warned
that they could be
By Sarah Coxhill
For more information on this and any
fundraising or volunteer opportunities
please contact: Sarah Coxhill at
[email protected]
23