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Press Cuttings
Reflect Play For Us
Georges Day
All For George
Pub Regulars Bike
Emilys Efforts
Reflect
Various Stories 1
Juniors Football
Various Stories 2
Gray on the Green
Artist Helps Charity
Samantha Hughes
Dear World
Diary Inspired by...
BAA Golfing...
Cap 4 Kids Press
Waitrose Weybridge
Trash For Cash
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Band will reflect on memories of Georgie to help raise charity cash
Rob Kelly reports on the fundraising concert that will see debut of a foursome together for only five months
"...A GROUP of budding young musicians will make their debut performance on Friday in a concert to raise funds for Georgie's Fund charity.
The band, Reflect, will play at the Riverhouse in Walton at 7.30pm, with all proceeds helping in the fight against neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer.
Georgie's Fund was set up in February 2004 following the death of eight-year-old George Hayhoe. The charity aims to raise money for research into a cure and treatments for the disease.
The foursome have been practising up to three times a week for the show and while they are eagerly anticipating their debut, it is the charity that is most important to them.
"We are quite confident about the gig, to be honest, but mainly we are trying to put something back, and raise some money to help find a cure," said Chris Russell, drummer for the band.
Aside from Chris, the band is made up of his brother, Andy 31, on guitar, Lauren Clark, 21, on keyboards and Charlene Williams, 21, as vocalist.
The band will be entertaining the audience with a broad variety , including some songs made famous by Eva Cassidy numbers, who succumbed to cancer in November 1996.
"We do a lot of Aretha Franklin and Alanis Morrissette, as well as Eva Cassidy, but it is mainly easy listening, chilled stuff," said Chris.
The quartet got together five months ago after singer Charlene introduced Chris to Lauren and they decided to form a band. Knowing of his brother's musical experience, Chris recruited him and Reflect was born.
They were told about the charity as soon as they had formed.
The brothers bring a great deal of experience to the band, having performed on the circuit for more than a decade, albeit more on the rock scene.
"We have been doing it for about 12 years now, appearing in a variety of different venues and I have played in a lot of pubs," remarked Chris.
"It is a different direction for me, and the same goes for my brother. I have never played anything like this before."
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A break for Reflect during their rehearsal for the concert on Friday night. Picture: Terry Habgood.
The band aim to get some more songs together following their debut show, and hope to get out on the road within the next six months.
Meryl Clark, the mother of the bands keyboard player, said although they are excited and in concert, the issue itself is very important to her daughter and the rest of the band.
"They had all been affected by someone who has had cancer so they wanted to do something for this charity," she said
"I've seen them practise and listened to them, and they're very good. This is the first event for them, so they are really up for it and keen. They're very excited and have been working
so hard." The Riverhouse in Walton, which is hosting the event, has agrred to hire out the venue to the organisers at a subsidised rate and Mrs Clarke is hopeful that the concert will help raise awareness
over the issue of neuroblastoma.
Lynn Nicholls, who has helped the organisers set up the event, is very hopeful that the event will be a big success for the band, but especially for the charity.
"It is very close to my heart, something we all saw affect many people and the little boy who died was a very brave boy," she said.
"He died in a fantastic hospice in Guildford and the staff were so wonderful at the time that the family wanted to do something to pay them back. The hospice uses the money in a variety of good and
positive ways."
For more information about the concert, or to buy tickets, call 01932 245447.
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Looking to the future after successful first year
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AFTER exceeding fundraising expectations in its first year, Georgie's Fund aims to continue it's success in 2005.
The charity is run by the family of George Hayhoe, an Addlestone schoolboy who dies aged eight from the childhood cancer neuroblastoma
It has raised more than £32,000, following it's inception in February last year.
The aim of the fund is to raise money for research into a cure for the illness, which affects children from birth to about 5 years and can also occur in older children.
George's mother, Tania, the founder of the charity, has been delighted by the response.
It is fabulous and quite overwhelming to see the number of people who are trying to help us in little ways," she said.
Georgie's Fund uses much of the money it raises to support The Neuroblastoma Society (NSOC), as it receives no government funding. It is co-ordinated by those who have had direct involvement
with children suffering from the disease.
"We have given more than £20,000 to fund research, but neuroblastoma is as as hard to treat now as it was 30 years ago," Mrs Hayhoe explained.
Neuroblastoma is diagnosed in approximately 100 children each year in the UK. It is a cancer of the specialised neural crest cells.
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Initially, the disease occurs in the adrenal glands above the kidneys. children will normally follow a course of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy leading to surgery. They will then be
on clinical trial to identify the most successful treatments, resulting in a number of admissions to hospital.
"We want to fund research but we also want to pay for smaller projects to help with children in our community who have this illness," Mrs Hayhoe said.
"With research, you don't see anything for a long time, so if we can help to keep a ward open in a hospital, or that kind of thing, it's great."
The fund has been chosen by a number of schools and groups to be their charity of the year.
A number of representatives from Georgie's Fund attended the AGM of the Professional Ladies Club (PLC) on March 22 in the Savoy in London, and the PLC is now pledging to raise £10,000 this year for the charity.
Mrs. Hayhoe is optimistic that Georgie's Fund can make a difference in the future, and is exploring new ways to battle neuroblastoma.
We have bought some equipment for the special isolation room at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton.
"It would be nice to do something local for St.Peter's Hospital, so we are looking into that," she said.
For more information, or to donate to Georgie's Fund, visit the website at www.georgies-fund.com, or call 01932-858987.
Alternatively, email Mrs. Hayhoe for more information on georgies.fund@ntlworld.com..."
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Article from "The Weybridge News & Mail" 13th April 2005
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