Anna Redshaw has pulled off another triumph – with her annual Blue Sunday Tea Party for ME at the weekend raising £17,000 so far for a wide variety of ME charities and causes, both at home and abroad.
Anna has been organising the event since 2013 and it rattled its tea cups well past the £100,000 fundraising total last year!
Here's what she told us about the event this morning:
“It's such a pleasure and a privilege to organise Blue Sunday each year for a community of people who need and deserve so much more than a virtual tea party.
“Again, Blue Sunday has shown our desire to be included and involved, rather than just sit on the sidelines and watch. I am always so proud and impressed by how many people mould and adapt Blue Sunday to work for them; plasters for feeding tubes changed to be blue to fit the theme, blue socks, blue teacups, blue blankets and bedding, ornate teapots and beautiful cake stands adorned with whatever we've been able to bake or buy.
“To us it is such a special occasion; one worthy of wearing our favourite blue clothes that are sat at the back of the wardrobe now that life has changed so much due to the restrictions of M.E.
“I feel very passionately about this community and am always so proud of them for creating a tiny bit of joy for themselves on Blue Sunday.
“To hear that so many people were delighted to have been able to join in from their own homed, sofas, beds, or gardens is so heartwarming. A Tea Party For M.E. is often a solo affair, perhaps obviously because of the impact M.E. has on our lives. That's why the online/virtual aspect of Blue Sunday is so vital. It was wonderful to see so many people engaging with other peoples' posts and photos online, and in turn reminding them that they aren't alone.
I couldn't be prouder. And that's before we've even mentioned the fundraising side of things. Let's do it all again next year!”
Thank you, Anna. If readers would like to support the event, there's still time to donate to the ME Association's Blue Sunday Tea Party page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/bluesunday2024mea
One tea party which went down a storm this year was organised by Faith Wheat – with her extended family taking it wholly to heart. Her relatives held at least nine events round England and the Isle of Man.
“They are all on my mum’s side. She was one of six, so there are quite a lot of us”, said Faith, a former chaplain in a Roman Catholic secondary school who went down with ME 10 years ago. Two years ago, 40-year-old Faith was forced to give up her part-time job when she was left quite severely ill after an attack of covid.
Her 14-year-old son Ben even baked some blue cupcakes at the family home in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
“My husband, Dave, jokes that next year we must give his side of the family a chance to shine!”
Faith donated her family proceeds – totalling £250 – to us overight. Here are a few of the photos she sent over.
Pictured below: Faith's cousin Emily with her children; her niece Jess (with blue bunting cake); Faith, herself; aunty Christine at her Weight Watchers table; family party including granddad and cousin Lucy with her slices of blue slab cake.
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Consultant, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
