Newsletter 40 Marie Arnold 2nd August 1933 – 15th April 2006
It is with profound sorrow that we must announce the death of our friend, adviser and colleague Marie Arnold. She had been unwell for some time, but her death was unexpected and came as a tremendous shock to her family and friends. Bill and Marie were our landlords for 13 years and without their faith, trust and support we would not still be here today. Marie was everyone's idea of a robust, no-nonsense northerner. Lancashire born and bred, she lived by the philosophy: “Fine words butter no parsnips”. Sometimes she could be so forthright it just took your breath away, but there was nothing she wouldn't do to help someone in distress. In her latter years, when we first met her, she was a remedial masseur – not the nice soothing kind who relaxed you, but the kind with sharp elbows and iron-hard fingers who elicited howls of agony from her patients, but seldom failed to put them back on their feet again. After half a lifetime spent in front of a computer screen, my neck and shoulders had all but seized up on me. She saw me sitting at my desk, doing a passable Quasimodo impersonation, and promptly dragged me down to her clinic. After three sessions of exquisitely painful pounding, grinding and crunching, I'd regained full mobility. The problem has never troubled me since. In the early days of the Centre, when all was far from plain sailing, she was an island of solid common sense, who found nothing remotely strange in what Gretchen was trying to do. In fact, they often operated in tandem – Gretchen soothing Marie's jangled clients after she'd finished kneading them into the treatment couch. We still can't quite believe she's gone, but know that you will join with us in holding Bill and his family in your thoughts. |
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Oo:--- We're Still Standing: This may come as an enormous surprise to you if you live outside West Cumbria , but at the beginning of this year, we were literally staring closure in the face. We decided that the time had come to stop being stoical and trying to fight the battle alone, so we called in reinforcements in the shape of Copeland MP Jamie Reed and – at his suggestion – issued a no-punches-pulled Press Release.
This is what we wrote in the local Parish News at the time:
“Most of you will probably either have seen the piece in the Whitehaven News or heard Gretchen's interview on Radio Cumbria regarding the financial situation at the Centre. The funding crisis is not new, but it is now urgent. Since the Centre began, we have struggled to fund our policy of treating everyone who comes to us, regardless of whether and how much they can pay. Through thick and (mostly) thin, we have not deviated from this principle. Up to now, we have always raised at least two thirds of our annual income outside the county, bringing many thousands of pounds in West Cumbria to be spent on services here. Understandably, national funders expect to see clear evidence of support from our own community. From the outset, individuals and small groups have always been wonderfully generous with time, talent and money, for which we are so very grateful. What we have not hitherto managed is to establish a viable funding stream from local industry and grant-giving bodies. While trying over the past five years to find this essential support, we have largely used up our reserves. As things stand it would not be responsible to enter a new financial year with so little in the kitty. We had, and have, no intention of going quietly, hence the press notification and a last determined effort to keep this unique centre up and running. As at the time of writing (15 th February) things are very much still in a state of flux. Copeland MP Jamie Reed – bless his cotton socks – is proving as good as his word and is pursuing funding for us with the tenacity of a terrier – apparently to some effect. Two more prospective funders are also making hopeful noises – but long experience has taught us all about counting unhatched chickens. So, we won't say anything further until we know for sure what is happening. Until then, we live in a kind of limbo, carrying on as before – seeing clients, selling jumble, paying bills, dealing on eBay – because we have to work on the assumption that the funding will be found and the Centre will continue. We've been touched by the support we've received since we decided to go public … the most unexpected people have written, not only to us, but to Jamie, to local businesses and the local papers. Hospital Consultants have stuck their heads over the parapets, put their support in writing and volunteered to speak on our behalf if necessary. The local GPs have weighed in on the side of the angels, too … along with clergy men and women, academics, clients and friends. All in all, it's been a touching and eye-opening experience to find out just how valued the Centre is not only among the “ordinary” people but also out in the medical and professional community. As soon as we have any news – positive or otherwise – we'll make it public … via the local press and radio. In the meantime, the Centre is open for business as usual – but a few well-aimed prayers wouldn't go amiss.”
That was the situation in mid-February.
Self-evidently, we're still very much here – not only that, but as you will see, we have a full calendar of events scheduled for the next 6 months. S-o-o …. either we've completely taken leave of our senses, or …… Well, you guessed it: things have taken a turn for the better. We're not in clear water by any means, and identifying funding is still a priority, but the proverbial wolf has been beaten back from the equally proverbial door and is presently licking its wounds somewhere on the far side of Muncaster Fell. With a lot of help from our friends, we succeeded in raising more money in the last three months of the financial year than we had in the whole of the preceding nine months – sufficient to keep our doors open for at least another year – with care. Major thanks are due to:
Jamie Reed, MP: Jamie is such an old-fashioned soul that he actually thinks you should go around doing stuff like helping people and keeping your word. It was Jamie who kick-started the whole process (by making the ground-shattering suggestion, “Well, why don't you actually TELL people you need help?”) and without him, this Newsletter would probably have been a beautifully written, throat-grabbing eulogy and farewell. A sort of “So Long, and Thanks for all the Jumble” sort of thing.
The Francis Scott Charitable Trust in Kendal, whom we didn't even have to approach for funding – they came to us when they heard that we were in trouble.
The Tudor Trust – a London-based charitable trust that has supported us, through some of our thinnest times, for more years than either of us probably care to think about .
British Nuclear Group with a second generous donation.
The Seascale and Bootle Health Practices Charity Fund – who gave us twice as much as we requested.
The Sellafield Charity Trust Fund – who are picking up the production costs of this year's Newsletters yet again .
The J P Jacobs Charitable Trust , our very first financial support, and still faithfully with us after all these years …
We've also received welcome help from the Cumbria Drug Action Team, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and so many individuals that we can't even begin to thank them all.
As we are , therefore, going to be around for at least wee while longer, we thought we ought to do something about some fund-raising events, and here they are, in date order:
21 st May – Paw Trek ( don't blame me, I didn't dream the name up. ) : For many years Maureen Holroyd has been bringing her lovely dog Kitsa to the Centre for treatment (yes, if it's a carbon-based life form, Gretchen will treat it …). Kitsa, bless her big brown eyes and cold wet nose, is doing a sponsored walk for us. It's being organized by Keswick Rotary and while 10% of the sponsorship money goes to the excellent charity “Hearing Dogs for Deaf People”, the other 90% can be donated to the charity of the dog-owner's choice – and Maureen has nominated us. Now Kitsa – a real beauty of the canine world – has a serious admirer in the shape of three-legged Ben. The admiration is all one –sided of course (as a matter of fact, she snarls at him whenever he comes anywhere near her) but, undaunted, Ben has decided that he, too, will take part (presumably in the hope that she'll be impressed by his indomitable pluck, or something). Kitsa is doing the 2 mile course and Ben is doing the 1½-miles-on-the-flat course, so hopefully, Kitsa won't actually see him, and he stands a good chance of getting all the way around without losing any more limbs. Please sponsor the pair of them who – in the real world (as opposed to my ill-regulated but colourful imagination) – have, of course, been roped in without any consultation at all. We'll split all money donated 50-50 between them. (For anyone who's concerned … Ben is more capable of walking 1½ miles than I am … it's ME on my two legs you should be worrying about, not him on his three.)
29 th May to 2 nd June – Festival of Fools: When it comes to being eccentric, we generally take a lot of beating, but we doff our caps (the multi-coloured ones with the jingly bells …) to Muncaster Castle who are hosting Britain's first-ever Festival of Fools. Muncaster is believed to be the only castle in Europe with its own jester (currently in the shape of Jem Famous). The jester, however, only reigns for one year, and during the course of the 5-day Festival, a new castle jester will be chosen, to follow Jem in the slightly sinister footsteps of the original Tom Fool. Jugglers, magicians, stilt-walkers and all manner of eccentrics will be entertaining the crowds, including The Amazing Mr Smith, who specialises in mad musical inventions, Jonathan the Jester from the National Guild of Jesters, and the splendidly-name Maynard Flip Flap. And in the middle of it all will be little old us, running a sideshow. Specifically, we will be overseeing the always-popular “Splat the Rat”. (If you're unfamiliar with this splendid form of entertainment, an ersatz rat is attached to a piece of elastic or similar and is released down a length of drainpipe with a small “window” cut out of the central section. Contestants are armed with a mallet and have to whack the unfortunate stuffed creature at the precise moment it crosses the cut-out section. For some reason, this is wildly entertaining … and generally reduces the spectators and contestants to helpless hysterics. Trust me. You have to be there.) We hope to be able to round up sufficient help to be able to staff the sideshow for all 5 days. If you can give us any time during that period, please let us know on the enclosed form.
8 th July – St Nicholas' Church Tower : a fundraising day in aid of the Centre, and a splendid one, because I don't have to do anything towards it because someone else is doing it for us. BUT, they do needs items for the raffle and tombola plus cakes. Raffle and tombola donations can be left at St Nicholas during the preceding week. Cakes should be taken to St Nicholas' on the morning of the 8 th or on the Friday before – or brought to us, and we'll ferry them across for you (and if you want to deliver the raffle and tombola stuff to us, that's fine, too …).
23 rd July – Car Boot Sale – Egremont Market Hall: Did you know that Nikolaus Pevsner described Egremont Town Hall as being “architecturally of no value”? Cheeky beggar. Well, we love it … because it's always done very well by us – so much so that we've booked it again for the morning of Sunday, July 23 rd . Volunteers, please, for staffing stalls, taking money, serving refreshments, setting up, taking down, washing up, sandwich-making, baking … The event only last about 2½ hours, but it's labour intensive and I'd really appreciate your help – if only for an hour. Anything you can do, let me know, please.
Saturday, August 12 th – The Encore Opera Company – Music for a Summer's Evening : Many of you will already know of Encore – an excellent and well-respected local opera group who have performed all over Cumbria – Cartmel Priory, Penrith, Barrow, Muncaster Castle, St Bees Priory – to name but a few. They have very generously offered us their services, so we've come over all posh and are hosting a sort of mini-Glyndebourne at the Chase. The programme will include light opera, operetta, classic show songs and film songs. Tickets will be £10.00 each, with £6.00 concessions, and the master plan is (and this is the cheeky bit …) you bring a picnic and your own chairs and/or rugs to disport yourself in what will doubtless be the glorious high summer sunshine from 4.00pm to 6.00pm, before being entertained by Encore until approximately 8.00pm. Should it (perish the thought) rain or anything horrid like that, we will retreat to St Michael's, Muncaster as long as you promise not to get rowdy. There's no need to pre-purchase tickets – just come along, clutching your money, your food and your folding chairs. We'll need a bit of help … but it shouldn't be very onerous.
Saturday, September 9 th – Open Day – “We're Still Standing”: To celebrate our continued survival and irritate the nay-sayers (oh yes, they're out there …) we decided to hold an Open Day. On examining what had previously been a pretty empty calendar, we were a bit surprised to discover that it had mysteriously filled up with events when no-one was looking. After we'd finished blaming each other, we agreed that September was a good time of year for it anyway, so that was all right then. It's just going to be an Open House … roll up at any time between 10.00am and 4.00pm (or when we start standing pointedly by the front door and coughing loudly, whichever is the sooner …), consume tea and cakes, buy raffle tickets, try to avoid winning any tombola prizes (it's embarrassing for everyone when people pathetically attempt to give them back), rummage through our white elephant and exponentially-expanding secondhand bookshop, marvel at the bombsite that is my office (a bombsite with a really nice view, mind you …) and – perhaps – take a leisurely stroll in the grounds. You never know … at the beginning of September, summer might have put in an appearance.
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I think that's all the coming events … but there are one or two general housekeeping items to cover:
1. Envelopes: Our card recycling business is reaching multi-national proportions. We'll have the Mergers and Monopolies Commssion on our case if we aren't careful. One result of this is that we're running rapidly out of envelopes. We need all sizes, shapes and colours. If you have any stockpiled anywhere, please could we have them?
2. eBay: If my parents had known that I would eventually end up selling other people's cast-offs over the internet, I'm sure they could have saved quite a lot of money on my up-bringing. I'm very good at it, though … and as it nets us something in the region of £1500 per annum, I defy anyone to knock it. Donations of unwanted possessions are always welcome … and we turn nothing away. Experience has told us that the most unlikely items sell and the most peculiar things turn out to be Objects of Desire – especially in the southern hemisphere. At the time of writing, I'm waiting to hear whether or not a set of four Dartington Glass tumblers has made it intact to Christchurch . That's Christchurch , New Zealand . Which reminds me – donations of packaging materials would be welcome, too – especially bubblewrap. You can never have too much bubblewrap, that's what I always say. Going off at a slight tangent (but not much) if you're an eBay seller yourself, you can now support us by giving a proportion of your profits. It's easy … when you set up your sale item, you just tick the box that says you're donating to charity, and follow the instructions. You'll find us listed under – surprise-surprise – “Centre for Complementary Care”.
That's it for this Newsletter. We'll be back, hopefully with more good news, in the Autumn. Have a good summer.
Moira. 21/04/06 |
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