20.05.11 Thank you to everyone who has joined the "Be a Smartie 4 NRAS" Challenge!
Pledges are now in excess of £520 (I'm not exactly sure as I have a few people helping me distribute tubes!)
Donations made through Just Giving have now reached £205.80 Anyone wishing to forward their donation may do so online using my Just Giving page. Alternatively, if you are coming along to the NRAS 10th Birthday lunch next month you may, if you wish, hand me your donation in cash. Can I just ask that you convert your 10p tubes to notes otherwise I could end rather weighed down on my train journey home!
I intend to continue collecting Smarties tubes of 10p pieces until the end of November so in the meantime if anyone else wishes to join in and raise funds for NRAS in their 10th Birthday year you will be most welcome
30.04.11, pledges and donations now amount to a grand total of £467.50.
Thank you one and all Once I reach the £500 target I will announce what's 'up my sleeve' next! It involved a shopping trip and I can 'BEARLY' contain myself
19.04.11, I have now received pledges and donations to the value of £447.50 Thank you everybody for your overwhelming support, it truly has been fantastic!
Hope you're all eating your Smarties and filling those tubes with 10p pieces! Once your tube is full donations can be made through my JustGiving page, justgiving.com/Lyn-Wilson ; every penny of every pound that a person donates through my page goes straight to NRAS. Alternatively you may prefer to bring your filled Smarties tube to our Get Together on 7th May or our NRAS birthday lunch on 30th June.
Nearly there almost reached my target of £500 ... then I'll tell you what's up my sleeve next ...
So, for those of you who would like to raise awareness and support NRAS in their 10th birthday year please pledge to fill a Smarties tube (or two) with 10p pieces. Each tube holds approximately £5 - £5.50 (although my physio managed to cram £6 into hers!). Every contribution is valued and will make a big difference to the work of NRAS and the lives of those with this incurable disease.
Sorry you feel like that. If you go into people's blogs you will read their stories and how they have been getting on. We are all like minded people. You can message anyone privately if you want to.
Everyone feels like you have, like no-one is bothered, no-one thinks your ill because you don't look it. You just feel knackered and fed up all the time, and like you said about 20 or 30 years older than you are. My doctor actually said to me that I have to remember I am getting older and I was 51, the B******d. Soon got shot of him. Keep logging on, and I am sure you will get what you are looking for.
Take care Julie x
HI Lyn THIS IS BRILLIANT. FANTASTIC, WELL DONE.
My problem is I don't buy smarties. I don't have any little persons to give them to,so will have to push them onto old persons! (Tongue in cheek)
I shall see what I can do, I know how important every penny countes. And Steph you are so right, never thought of cheating! HA!
Well done Lyn.
Julie x
• in reply to
Thank you for considering Julie I appreciate that your healthy living diet and Smarties don't exactly go hand in hand! Cheating? I guess it's okay in a good cause!!
Lyn x
I'm sorry you feel this way Alison and you really didn't need to go into lengthy detail about why you can't support me in this! It is purely a personal thing for those wishing to contribute. I am passionate about NRAS and the work it does on behalf of each of us and this is my way of helping that cause.
To me this site alone is worth a Smarties tube full of 10p pieces for being able to be a part of such a supportive community.
Carte Blanche for a smartie cheat...life just gets better and better x
• in reply to
Ah yes, clearly Tia knows what she is talking about x
Our Smarties tubes are going well in the NRAS office, we have some tubes spares which we give to visitors when they come to see us, no one leaves without being asked to 'Be a Smartie 4 NRAS'!
Keep up the good work Lyn, you are doing brilliantly.
• in reply to
Thanks Val, it's great that so many people have offered their support on this one! I am amazed and in awe of everyone's generous contributions
Oh Tricia, thank you so much and I love surprises Really excited about the 7th and looking forward to meeting you!
Lyn x
i am going to the bake 10 cakes thing for nras when i go back to work when that might be at this stage. i dont know feel guilty bout smarties but am intending to help in different ways
• in reply to
Hi Alison
That's a great idea and cakes always go down well ... they just slip straight down the throat one after another! Well done you
Lyn x
Well done Lyn you seem to work so hard for the NRAS.
mand xx
• in reply to
The thing is mand, if I get involved in stuff I have no time to think about RA so consequently it sits in a corner of my life sulking because it isn't having any impact. Exactly how I like it
Lyn x
hi Lyn have you a deadline for the money to be in.
mand xx
• in reply to
Hi Mand
Would you believe it ... reply disappeared , must have forgotten to press submit!! For goodness sake, I can't even blame it on being the middle of the night!!
No deadline Mand The speed (or lack of) my tubes are filling up it will probably take me to the end of the year! Probably about November time so I can get it all sorted before Christmas (who said that naughty word?!).
Thank you for your support,
Lyn x
This is a great idea.
While I am also off work and skint as the others say there is still many ways you can help to raise money if you cant help, while I was off work over christmas I arranged with collegues to do a big christmas raffle and we managed to raise over £200 cant remember the exact ammount I then talked my md into doubling this which he kindley did. I always try a few times a year to raise money for both NRAS and breast cancer charity too, Ive already done a cake day for breast cancer care this year and rasised over £50 and plan to do the NRAS tea for ten in June/July to raise money too.
I contribute what I can and even when skint there is always something we can do for others to help xxx
• in reply to
Hi Julie
You are so right and it isn't all about money. There's lots of things people can do even down to donating a small prize to a raffle. The Tea for 10 is a great idea too
I chose this challenge because I thought the odd 10p here and there over the year would go unnoticed from my purse ... believe me I get that few I really haven't noticed at all! But hey ho the tubes are filling up ... v..e..r..y......slowly! I keep peering in to see if the pile has grown ... not quite sure what I'm expecting though!
Lyn x
• in reply to
Thanks Lyn,Julie.
I will give it a go, just hope I don't put on to much weight eating all those smarties!!
Then again I can always keep them for the nieces and nephews.
mand xx
The money I raise through various challenges throughout the year will go to NRAS as part of their 10th Birthday fundraising appeal.
Since its inception, in Ailsa's (CEO of NRAS) own home 10 years ago, the NRAS network has grown considerably. With twenty or so staff in the Maidenhead office, peer to peer volunteer telephone support, a helpline facility, numerous publications for download or despatch and over 40 local groups throughout the country NRAS is the only UK charity specific to those diagnosed with RA.
NRAS is a charity that I am passionate about, not least because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis! I am aiming to do something, undoubtedly quite insignificant in the whole scheme of things but, which will help NRAS in some small way continue and extend the fantastic service it offers.
Lyn x
2 smartie tubes winging their way to you (and NRAS) via your JustGiving page
Cece x
• in reply to
Thank you so much Cece; much appreciated. You are all such lovely folk
You are doing a fantastic job. I will start the smartie tubes tomorrow. Don't eat chocolate myself (migraine) but I know plenty of people who can. I am having a garden party for a few friends in July, nothing grand just cream teas maybe a raffle or tombola. Will ask for donations to nras. It has been such a joy to me to be able to speak to people with the same problems. Long may it continue.
A garden party what a great idea and raffles/tombolas are always good for raising money. Hopefully July will be a dry and sunny month!
You are very welcome to come along to our next Fylde Coast area NRAS meeting in May. I will post the details on the forum. It's always good to meet up with people for a chat and we have a few come from Preston, Blackburn and Lancaster! We have an O.T. speaking next month and a visit from Val from NRAS ... should be good!
I love that ... The answer IS chocolate, who cares what the question was! I will be pinching that quote, it's brilliant, simple but spot on!
Thank you for joining the 'Smarties' quest, much appreciated
Lyn x
Ok, who changed the shape of the smartie tubes!!!
Do the 10p's fit into the new hexagonal shape tube??
I'm so behind on the sweetie front.
mand xx
• in reply to
Come on Mand get with it!
Yes, of course the 10p's fit the hexagonal tubes, they fit so snugly the Smarties tubes must have been made with exactly that purpose in mind!! If you open them carefully you can still manage to close the lid!
They messed with sherbert fountains too ... such a disgrace!
Lyn x
• in reply to
It's no good I must eat more sweets. so had to laugh when I saw the tubes today, my son did mention it the other day but I wasn't sure.
I've such a brain, must be the drugs!!!!
mand xx
Oh for goodness sake !!!! I know two posts have been removed but why are the 'number of comments' now reading -5 !! Duh ... I'm sure my maths isn't that bad?!
Here's me trying to keep this blog high profile and we're now in minus numbers!!
Lyn x
Hi lyn
just caught up with this ! I will have a go at getting one or two filled up too.
Respect ! for the positivity you show !!
Fiona xxx
• in reply to
Thank you Fiona, that's brilliant and much appreciated! Such lovely supportive people on here
Ln we are now on 4 filled smartiy tubes £23 cos my son found that he could put 20p's in, I new he was a clever lad, now I'm going to give grandchilds smarties there's no fly's onme then they can fill the tubes again.
Sorry Tricia, I'm a bit of a slowmo at the mo! Wow what a clever boy, 20p pieces too! I suspect my tubes might just go the same way ... hardly ever pick up 10p pieces these days, I'm sure there is a conspiracy!
Thank you for doing this for NRAS
See you next week!
Lyn x
Hi Matt
This blog is well and truly buried never to see the light of day again I suspect!
Thank you so much for your generous donation to my Just Giving account for the Smarties challenge. Much appreciated
Hi Lyn, have given out 11 tubes at the moment have had a few returned hopefully I'll get them back soon to help reach your total.
mand xx
Wow Mand, that's brilliant Well done you! Every time I go shopping I try to spend coins so I get 10p's in my change ... but people seem insistent on giving me 5p's instead!! How infuriating!!
You are doing a great job. Thank you
Lyn x
Thank you Julie for your generous donation (really sorry you had to eat all those Smarties though!). Everyone is being so supportive which makes it lovely to be part of the ' HU community'
Thanks again Julie,
Lyn x
Thank you Tricia for your donation (sorry I have been a bit slow responding on the blog!); things are going well so will need to be updating my blog soon
Thanks again
Lyn xx
Smartie tube donations from members of BADRAG (Blackpool and District Rheumatoid Arthritis Group - our local NRAS group). Thank you for joining the challenge ... keep 'em coming guys!
Lyn x
I would also like to get involved with this if possible. I too am passionate about helping the NRAS for the help I have had from HU and forums, it will be good to give something back.
Can I confirm, smartie tubes filled either with 20 or 10pences, then what do we do?? Have read blog a couple of times, but cant seem to work out where to go from the filled up tubes, sorry if I am being a bit thick!
If you could let me know what to do, in the meantime I was start peeing into tubes lolxxx Love Petra
• in reply to
Hi Petra
I will send you a message tomorrow! I fear a reply on here may well get lost! My twins celebrated their 18th birthdays today so I have imbibed perhaps a little more than was wise ... next stop bed, methinks
Thank you so much for offering to get involved, I really appreciate it!
Lyn x
• in reply to
How lovely. Hope the day was a great success and didnt take it out of you too much.
Many thanks, sleep tight honey xxx
Hi Katie
Thank you so much for your generous donation to my Just Giving account for the Smarties challenge. Very much appreciated
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Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
UPDATE 
No one should be alone and isolated when they have been newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis
Flaring badly but I did it! Charity Walk for NRAS ticked off my bucket list of things to do! 
This is from GloriaS family.......
