Winston's Wish - Rebrand

Last month I popped down to Winston's Wishes offices on the Royal Crescent, Cheltenham, for a photo shoot to launch their exciting new rebrand. I've only just been able to release the images as they have been top secret until the launch date just a few weeks ago.

The brief was to capture a combination of natural shots and mock up role plays with one of the practitioners. My favourite type of photos are always the more candid ones where the children are at ease and engaged in their activities. 

I've done many, many photo shoots for Winston's Wish over the years. To view more of them just click on this link and scroll down the page. Thanks!

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Walk of Love

Just before Valentines, Natalia Spencer arrived back in Cheltenham after completing her epic 6,000 mile walk around the UK's coastline. Natalia was walking in memory of her daughter, Elizabeth Spencer, who tragically died in 2015, and to raise money for the Bristol Children's Hospital, where Elizabeth was treated.  

The walk of love took place around Park Campus and echoed the one that was done last February, to mark the start of Natalia's walk. It again involved St James' Primary School, where Elizabeth was a pupil. It was fantastic to see the whole school come together once more and show such a united front. In between dodging buses and cars, I managed to capture all of the action. I even got a few snaps of local MP Alex Chalk. At the end there was another balloon release, samba band and lots of happy tears. It was very touching.

To find out more about Elizabeth's story and Natalia's plans please go to www.elizabethsfootprint.com or to donate visitwww.justgiving.com/Natalia-Spencer.

Winston's Wish - Royal Crescent

Last week I was at Winston's Wish's new offices on the Royal Crescent in Cheltenham. Off the success of my other photo shoots with them they were keen for even more photos to use across their online marketing and media platforms. 

On my arrival I was welcomed into the reception area where I was delighted to see many brochures covered top to toe in my pictures. Winston's Wish holds a special place in my heart for personal reasons and I felt very proud to see that my photos were making a real difference to this worthy charity.

The children arrived and they spent the morning playing in one of the new counselling rooms. The aim of the shoot was lots of reportage pictures. There was plenty to keep them entertained. From a sand table, to craft and musical instruments, the room was soon filled with lots of laughter and joy. 

I don't ask for any fee for charity work. If you run a charity and are in need of some professional photos then please do get in touch with me. Either drop me an email using my contact page or give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!

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Singing for Syrians

Last week I was invited along to photograph a fantastic fundraising event for Syrian refugees. Local bilingual children's group, Babel Babies, were sponsoring it and the venue was The Suffolk Anthology Book Shop. Together, with Syrian children’s book author and illustrator - Nadine Kaadan - they hosted an afternoon of storytelling, singing and crafts. It was an event in Arabic, French and English for the Syrian children who have come to live in Gloucestershire. It was a great chance for everyone to practise their Arabic nursery rhymes and hear some beautiful Arabic picture books being read by the author herself! The event was being held in conjunction with Gloucestershire’s refugee support charities GARAS and Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees.

Gracie, Aston & Campbell

Day 2 of the Winston's Wish family work sessions. This time with the ever so adorable Gracie and her big brothers, Aston and Campbell. They've lost their Dad but like Bethany and Paige yesterday, they were happy to be photographed and have their story shared.

Working with such vulnerable children demonstrates my enormous sensitivity and care towards all the subjects that I photograph. Perhaps it is because I know what they are going through because despite the struggles these kids are currently facing, the room was full of smiles - some happy, and some with a sense of sadness.  

Winston's Wish - Memory Stones

As part of Monday's session we made the most of the beautiful sunshine to take some photos of sisters, Bethany and Paige, doing some Memory Stone work outside. 

Memory Stones are a tool that Winston's Wish use to help children understand and process their grief. Smooth stones are for every day memories, gem stones are for very precious memories and rough rocks are for more difficult memories. Here, Bethany and Paige, each hold a gem stone.

Winston's Wish - Teenagers

On Monday I spent the morning at Winston's Wish, the charity for bereaved children. I do a lot of voluntary photography work for this charity; I lost my own Mum when I was 11 years old. 

The charity is desperately trying to reach out to teenagers. They want to encourage more to come forward and talk about the grief and loss, and help them make positive steps forward in their life. It's vital therefore they are able to connect with the images.

Sisters, Bethany and Paige, are going through their own difficulties at the moment and yet despite this wanted to help with the photo shoot. I understand from talking to their Mum that it was a really good thing for them to have done. 

Pip & Jim's Mother's Day Service

Here are the pictures from this morning's Mothering Sunday Church service, which I
attended with my own mini mice. All the Mummies received a single yellow rose. I dedicated mine to my own Mum, who passed away 24 years ago. To all the Mum's out there who have lost a child, and to all the children who have lost a Mum. Happy Mother's Day.

Rainbow Walk

A few weeks ago St James' C of E Primary School held a rainbow walk around Park Campus, Cheltenham, to show support for Natalia Spencer, who was to began her own 6,000 mile coastal walk just a few days later on Valentine's Day. Natalia is walking in memory of her daughter, Elizabeth Spencer, who tragically died just before Christmas, and to raise money for the Bristol Children's Hospital, where Elizabeth was treated.  

I was asked if I could photograph the walk. It was fantastic to see the whole school come together and show such a united front. In between dodging buses, I managed to capture all of the action. At the end there was a balloon release to mark the start of Natalia's journey. It was very touching.

To find out more about Elizabeth's story and Natalia's plans please go to www.elizabethsfootprint.com or to donate visitwww.justgiving.com/Natalia-Spencer.

Elizabeth's Footprint

Natalia Spencer lost her five year old daughter, Elizabeth, in December last year, after she died suffering from a rare illness.

Elizabeth attended St James' School in Cheltenham, the same school as my son, Jenson, who started in reception in September.

Last November, Elizabeth had started to feel unwell, developing flu like symptoms. But the next day she collapsed and was rushed to hospital where she was put in an induced coma, which very sadly she was never to wake up from. Just 18 days later, on the 10th December 2015, she passed away. 

The cold like virus that Elizabeth had, triggered an extremely rare auto immune condition, which sent her body into overdrive to fight off the original virus. The condition is called Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and it caused little Elizabeth's body to go into septic shock, shutting down her major organs and cutting off the blood supply to her limbs. Elizabeth was put on life support at Bristol Children's hospital. 

Now, Natalia wants to raise more than £100,000 for the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal children's charity, (the charity associated with Bristol Children's Hospital) by walking the entire length of Britain's coastline, (the coast was Elizabeth's favourite place). She sets off on Valentines Day at Durdle Dore, the last beach they visited together, and will walk 6,000 miles. She plans to finish ten months later on the 10th December, the first anniversary of Elizabeth's death.

And so it was on Tuesday evening that the launch night for Natalia's epic walk took place. I was asked if I could come along to photograph the event. It was a powerful evening. There were tears, laughter, smiles and sadness  as over 200 people listened to Natalia as she spoke about her plans, motivations and fundraising aims. 

Natalia was joined on stage by a host of special guest speakers including MP Alex Chalk's representative, Hannah Wright, award winning children's author Tracey Corderoy, Graham Harbord, an experienced GB coastline walker,  a charity representative from the Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal, global adventurer Jason Rawles as well as teachers and parents who were close to Elizabeth.

To view the gallery of photos live follow this link: http://elizabethsfootprint.com/launch-night/

For the Flickr feed use this link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138987934@N03/shares/bTeCif

To find out more about Elizabeth's story and Natalia's plans please go to www.elizabethsfootprint.com or to donate visit www.justgiving.com/Natalia-Spencer.

Winston's Wish Residential

Winston's Wish runs residential weekends for bereaved children and young people aged 6 to 18, that is both challenging and fun.

The weekends involve practical and creative activities that encourage teamwork, building confidence and self-esteem. This sets the scene for the children to begin sharing their own stories, to untangle and express a range of feelings, increase their knowledge about death and to continue their individual journeys towards understanding their grief.

Working alongside professional staff and highly trained volunteers, children are given the opportunity to share their individual stories with others in their small group, gain information about what happened through a question-and-answer session with a doctor, take special time to remember the person who has died, explore safely some of the more challenging feelings and responses they may be experiencing and develop ways of looking to the future.

The residential weekend I photographed was focused on children who had lost a parent through suicide, murder and manslaughter. 

I only spent a few hours with the children, but those hours were probably some of the toughest I've photographed. Having lost my own Mum when I was 11 years old, I found the whole experience very moving. The balloon release at the end was particularly touching. Each had a message from the child to the parent who had died. It was a poignant moment. 

If anyone wants to find out more about Winston's Wish or would like to make a donation please visit their website at http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/.

Winston's Wish Drop In Clinic

Winston's Wish is a charity very close to my heart, having lost my own Mum when I was 11 years old.

The collaboration with them started with the launch party of my new photo studio in November 2014, (click here to see photos) I held a raffle with all the proceeds going to Winston's Wish. We raised over £100, which was terrific! It was then that they asked me if I could help further. They were in need of new photos for their online media and marketing platforms. Their existing ones were tired, having been taken 15 years ago.

The drop in clinic is our first project together.  The clinic itself started in January 2013. It is open to anyone who would like to find out more about Winston's Wish and the services they provide or would like to meet with other people in relation to a bereavement. It is held on the last Wednesday of every month from 3.30pm-6.30pm at Leisure @ Cheltenham, Tommy Taylors Lane, Cheltenham, GL50 4RN.

The purpose of the photos was to simply capture the space to help give people an understanding of the setting and environment. A model was used.