Spring is a hopeful season. It brings transformation and light, and our expectations for brighter days grow with the daffodils. Hopes and expectations are running high at the Mac Unit as we eagerly await the approval of our planning permission and start taking tentative steps towards the official launch of Brick by Brick. We are raring to go and hope you are all ready to join us!
January saw over 600 people coming to Christchurch for our public engagement events! The three days showcased the designs for the new Macmillan Unit along with the plans RBCH and AHH have for the site. It also offered everyone the opportunity to ask questions and tell us how they feel about the plans. We were so pleased with all the positive feedback about our new building and it was lovely to meet so many people and help to answer their questions. Everything is now with the Council and we hope to hear from them soon!
In the meantime, you wonderful people have continued to show your unwavering support. Amongst the birthday fundraisers on Facebook, tribute nights and other events that you have done or are planning, we celebrated a fantastic fundraising achievement for the White Christmas Dip. Last month, the amazing John and Tommy came to Christchurch so that they could meet staff on the Unit and we could say a huge thank you! John and Tommy have organised the White Christmas Dip on Christmas Day every year since 2008 and to date, they have raised a phenomenal £250,000! The event is growing every year with almost 1,200 dippers and thousands more spectators in 2019 – definitely a reason to celebrate! Thank you to everyone involved in the White Christmas Dip and to ALL of you for your amazing fundraising! Keep up the good work – we couldn’t do it without you!
The fundraising team have now moved into a new office – you can find them in the old blood test room down the corridor from the Mac Unit. With the lack of space in the charity office, they have been working from home but now they have a room where they can work together more often and get the Brick by Brick creativity flowing ready for the appeal launch. Come and visit the team (and their canine friends) if you have any questions or ideas for the appeal – they’d love to hear from you!
We hope you are all enjoying the new website and it is working well for you? As always, if you have any questions or comments, please do get in touch. Also, don’t forget to make sure all your family and friends are following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and sign up for our newsletter here. This will keep you up to date with MCL news and events, plus developments with our Brick by Brick appeal and the new building – exciting times lie ahead so don’t be the last to know about what’s happening!
With Ciara, Dennis, Elaine and Jorge out of the way, let’s hope we don’t get too far through the alphabet before the longer, sunnier days are finally upon us. We hope to bounce into spring with everything we need to get this amazing building started and look forward to bringing further news on the appeal and build plan next time. Until then, sending you lots of sunny vibes and see you soon!
