Charity/voluntary

A WOMAN from Uxbridge is aiming to complete a daring skydive to raise money for Sport Relief.

Leila Dukes, 25, who works for Promote PR, is hoping to raise £10,000 along with five of her work colleagues.

She is joined by Jo Whitaker (28) from Reading, Siobhan Monaghan (20) from Marlow, Lisa Warden (25) from Wallingford and Jo Sutton (25) from Wokingham, and Sue Anstiss (44) from Windsor.

THE Chimes will bring the exotic lands of South America to life this weekend.

Saturday sees the relaunch of the shopping centre's successful Global Kids scheme, and there will be activities and educational opportunities aplenty for young shoppers.

Free workshops will take place including traditional paper pottery, making necklaces and fridge magnets, plus music with rain sticks from Chile.

A TRAVEL group which organises Caribbean holidays organised a charity raffle to raise money for Haiti.

Staff at Armstrong House, in Uxbridge High Street, spent a week gathering prizes from businesses around Uxbridge to offer to lucky raffle winners on Monday afternoon.

Among those who donated were the Baroosh restaurant in Uxbridge and The Chimes shopping centre.

The raffle was organised by Charlene Horn, who works in sales support at ITG Sales and Marketing, alongside the Ickenham Travel Group.

The team also made tea and cakes at a charge of £2 a head all day, to go alongside raffle prizes which were also donated from The Entertainer, Balcony Shirts, and the Nona Rosa restaurant.

A NEW volunteering project for individuals who have had substance misuse problems has launched in Hillingdon.

'Project Aspire' has previously helped people to overcome their troubles by obtaining work placements on a regular basis or one-off occasions.

In some cases this has led to full time employment or further training.

To find out more e-mail r.yearwood@hagam.org.uk or call 01895 207788.

AN IMPRESSIVE £15,000 has been raised by generous residents across the borough in aid of Help For Heroes.

The Lido Lap fundraising event in September saw walkers of all abilities trek around Ruislip Lido, in Reservoir Road, to raise £13,000 for soldiers injured in war.

Two security guards from Hillingdon Council, Lewis Baker and Dan Preston, came up with the idea for the event, which attracted more than 450 people. The remaining £2,000 came from public donations.

Today, a giant cheque was presented to Sergeant Steve Pickston, Middlesex county coordinator of Help For Heroes, by Councillor Ray Puddifoot, leader of Hillingdon Council, at Uxbridge War Memorial, on Mahjack's roundabout in Windsor Street.

TWO students cartwheeled for over a mile- not because they were overjoyed about lectures being cancelled- but to raise money for Children in Need.
The Brunel University students turned heads across the University concourse in Kingston Lane, Uxbridge last week.

Sophie Muir, 21, who is studying for a degree in Sport and Exercise and Becky Whitacker, 19, who is training to be a PE teacher, have raised £700 so far, for the charity.

Sophie said: "We have been practising for this for a long time." With Becky adding, "We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us."
www.Justgiving.com/1milecartwheel

AN UXBRIDGE based RAF military musician led an orchestra at a Royal Albert Hall Festival of Remembrance.

RAF Chief Technician Barry Stringer, leader of the Salon Orchestra, who has served in Iraq, took to the stage for the BBC concert, broadcast on Remembrance weekend.

A WOMEN'S only fitness club held a week of fundraising events in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Curves, in Redford Way, Uxbridge, raised more than £600 in a jam packed week of fun activities for the members to take advantage of.

These included beauty treatments, reflexology, a raffle and a tea and coffee morning.

In addition to this the franchise froze their one time service fee for the whole week, allowing new members to sign up for free.

The week ended on a high note, celebrating Pink Friday where all the members wore pink.

The club would like to thank all the members who contributed to this fantastic cause, as well as local businesses who donated a range of gifts.

Are you interested in Poems, have you ever thought about writing your own? This is your last chance to win £1,000 in a competiton aimed at getting more people to write poetry.

VOLUNTEERS are being sought to build what could be the world's largest Lego brick building in Uxbridge.

Architects have designed a building with the help of children at Cowley St Laurence Primary School, in Worcester Road, Cowley.