Bluebird Care Gateshead were proud to support Graham Onions’ Benefit Year 2015

Bluebird Care Gateshead were proud to support Graham Onions’ Benefit Year 2015 by taking part in a local charity golf day on 24 September 2015 at Longhirst Hall.   

Bluebird Care Gateshead were proud to support Graham Onions’ Benefit Year 2015 by taking part in a local charity golf day on 24 September 2015 at Longhirst Hall.   Graham Onions plays for Durham County Cricket Club and is hosting a number of special events in 2015 to help him to raise money for his chosen local charities. 
 
The day was a great success and Bluebird Care Gateshead were delighted to be on the winning team!  We played with Gordon Muchall, cricketer of Durham County Cricket Club, Neil Killeen also of Durham County Cricket Club and David Haswell of Bluebird Care Newcastle & South Tyneside.
 
The day raised over £3,000 for fantastic causes.   There are four chosen charities that are close to Graham’s heart who will benefit from the money raised at the golf day and who will receive donations from his benefit year:

Comrades Of Children Overseas
COCO is an international children’s charity which is based in Newcastle upon Tyne. COCO works with communities in remote regions overseas to help to alleviate the poverty that is preventing education for children in those areas. Currently COCO works primarily in East Africa and Ghana and, since it was founded in 2000, has raised a significant amount of money, over £2.8 million. In the last year alone, COCO’s projects have positively impacted on the lives of over 15,000 impoverished people.
 
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
Another North East charity who are doing an amazing job funding various projects and contributing to research into fighting cancer. Sir Bobby launched his Foundation in 2008 after his oncologist Professor Ruth Plummerrequested his help with fundraising to equip a  centre for new cancer drug trials, at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care in Newcastle upon Tyne. Sir Bobby responded to her request by launching his charity to get the money she needed. He was successful in his appeal and in February 2009, Sir Bobby officially opened the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre. The Foundation directly funds projects within the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, that support and benefit cancer patients from across north east England and Cumbria – and which also contribute a great deal to international cancer research.
 
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Special Care Baby Unit
QE Gateshead Charitable Funds exists to raise funds which help to enhance the patient experience, to in aid staff training and development and contribute to research. With nearly 100 funds across the hospital to support, the charity heavily rely on the generosity of fundraisers and the kindness of people who choose to remember the QE in their will, or who donate charitably.
 
Professional Cricketers Association Benevolent Fund
The 'PCA' Benevolent Fund is a fantastic charity set up to help current and former cricket players, and their dependants in times of hardship. The life of a professional cricketer is great while it lasts but everybody’s career must come to an end eventually. The PCA provide funding to players which enables them to attend vocational courses to better their chances of a new career, after their cricketing career is over. Also the PCA provide financial aid for cricket players who have been forced out of the game early. This charity makes a huge difference to ex cricket players and their families’ quality of life.

If you would like to find out more about the work Graham is doing and how you can support these charities please visit the Graham Onions Benefit Year 2015 website.