Latest news with #PaulSartoriHospiceatHome
Western Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
Choir concert raises £1,200 for Paul Sartori Hospice
The event, organised by the Pembroke Dock Community Choir, took place on March 8 at Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock, and raised £1,234 for Paul Sartori Hospice at Home. The evening featured performances from both the Pembroke Dock Community Choir and the Paul Sartori Community Choir. The two choirs came together for a special joint rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" as the finale. The Pembrokeshire Lindy Hoppers also performed a dance routine. Nigel Arthur, a member of the Pembroke Dock Community Choir, said: "We thought that maybe we would try and do a concert to raise funds for Paul Sartori. "Being a 50–60 strong choir, quite a few members have had help for family members in the past from this charity. "We raised an incredible amount, and we were very pleased. "It was a thoroughly enjoyable night for us all and worth it in raising a great amount for this wonderful charity." Jo Lutwyche, community relationship officer for Paul Sartori, said: "We are so grateful to the Pembroke Dock Community Choir for organising this very enjoyable night. "The Pembrokeshire Lindy Hoppers as well as the Paul Sartori Community Choir added to the evening." The Pembroke Dock Community Choir is open to new members and meets every Wednesday at 5.15pm during term time at Pembroke Dock Community School Hall. The Paul Sartori Community Choir was established in April 2022 to bring people together after the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and to raise awareness and funds for the charity. Now, three years on, the choir continues to support Paul Sartori Hospice at Home and other worthy causes, performing at joint community fundraising events across the county. Paul Sartori Hospice at Home provides a range of services to Pembrokeshire people living in the final stages of a life-limiting illness and the Paul Sartori Community Choir extends the support to the wider community. For further information on the charity and its services visit their website.
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Telegraph
I rowed from Lanzarote to Antigua at age of 70 – this is what it was like
Bad weather, technical issues, exhaustion… Janine Williams and her crew-mates experienced a plethora of challenges on their 3,200-mile row from Lanzarote to Antigua, but she is unequivocal about the worst one. 'What I hated most was being on deck at night when there was no moon,' she reflects, a few weeks after reaching the finish line. 'I hated that shift. It was pitch black so you couldn't see what the waves were doing and I was in constant fear that I would injure my body.' Yet it was also a night-time shift that provided the highlight of her 53 days at sea. On this occasion there was a full moon, phosphorescence glistening in the water, a shooting star in the sky and an electric storm on the horizon. 'It was magic, amazing,' she says. 'I'd never had an experience like that.' Rowing across the Atlantic is a tough task for anyone but what makes Williams' feat even more impressive is her age. On reaching Antigua, the 70-year-old became the oldest woman to ever row an ocean. Williams is keen to push back against the idea that people should slow down as they get older, and having spent much of her life on the water, either sailing dinghies or rowing in Celtic longboats off the coast of Pembrokeshire, she had often been asked about taking part in an Atlantic row. When it was proposed again three years ago by a team-mate at Neyland Rowing Club, she decided to bite the bullet. 'People over the years had said, 'Do you fancy doing the Atlantic?' and I just thought it would be horribly difficult and uncomfortable, but this time I thought, 'If I don't do it now, I won't ever do it',' she says. 'I just happen to be the oldest woman to do it – that wasn't the reason for doing it, I did it because I wanted to. 'Probably the best piece of it is seeing people's reactions and how older and younger people are really inspired by an older person doing something like that. If I'm able to inspire other women to carry on doing amazing things they didn't think they could do, that is cool. 'Something in society gives us the message, especially women, that we should slow down as we get older, but there is no reason to do that as long as you're sensible and careful. I'm part of a healthy-ageing research project and that shows the importance of keeping active.' Williams was not the only person to set a record among her crew: Sophie Pierce, 32, became the first person with cystic fibrosis to row an ocean. With 24-year-old Miyah Periam and Polly Zipperlen, 50, completing the foursome, who have raised £20,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Paul Sartori Hospice at Home and Emily's Entourage, there was a wide range of ages taking part. However, the physical struggles they each experienced were similar, including muscle wastage from not being able to walk for more than 50 days, and weight loss. Yet the toll the row has taken has not put septuagenarian Williams off undertaking another long-distance challenge. She is already planning to take on a EuroVelo route, which involves cycling nearly 3,000 miles from the Atlantic coast in France to the Black Sea in Romania. The expression 'age is but a number' has never felt more apt.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pembrokeshire women make history in record-breaking Atlantic row
A team of four women from Pembrokeshire have made history by completing an extraordinary Atlantic row in just 53 days. Their inspiring 3.200-mile journey from Lanzarote to Antigua has shattered two world records and raised over £20,000 for charity. Janine Williams,70, is now the oldest woman in the world to row an ocean, while Sophie Pierce (32) has become the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to achieve this feat. Alongside teammates Polly Zipperlen, 50, and Miyah Periam, 24, the women – all members of Neyland Rowing Club – battled relentless waves, sleep deprivation, and the extreme physical and mental challenges of ocean rowing to complete the challenge. The 'Cruising Free' team arrived in Antigua on Thursday, March 27 – a week ahead of schedule – to be greeted by an emotional crowd of supporters, including family, friends, and fellow adventurers. In their 10-metre rowing boat, Spirit of Bluestone, the team rowed in shifts around the clock, stopping only to eat together or shelter from four-metre waves. They survived on 1,000 dehydrated meals and relied on a water desalination machine, advanced communications, and a fridge to store Sophie's Cystic Fibrosis medication. Social worker Sophie, from Johnston, said: 'If you had told me five years ago that I would be standing here in Antigua after rowing an ocean, I would have laughed. "This journey has been incredibly tough, but also one of the most empowering experiences of my life. "I hope this challenge not only inspires others with Cystic Fibrosis to push boundaries but also helps reimagine the future of CF." For Janine, from Neyland, the row was a testament to the power of perseverance: "People kept asking if I was worried about rowing at 70, but I never doubted that we could do it," she said. "This has been an adventure of a lifetime, proving that you're never too old to take on something extraordinary.' Watersports instructor Miyah, from Milford Haven, added: 'This was harder than I ever imagined – but also more beautiful. The ocean is a wild, unpredictable place, but it has given us some of the most incredible moments of our lives.' Polly Zipperlen, from Llangwm, added: "The ocean tested us in every way possible, but we kept each other going. We laughed, we cried, we sang our way through the hardest days – and we made it. This wasn't just about rowing; it was about proving what's possible when you work together and refuse to give up." The team's challenge was also a mission to raise funds for three charities close to their hearts: the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, and Emily's Entourage. Donations can be made via the Cruising Free GoFundMe page. was the team's key sponsor, and the company's chief executive, William McNamara, met them at the finish line in Antigua. He said: 'What these women have accomplished is truly remarkable. Their determination and spirit embody everything we stand for at Bluestone, and we couldn't be prouder to have supported them on this journey.' "Supporting this team on their journey has been an absolute privilege, and seeing them cross the finish line in Antigua was a moment I will never forget. Their story will inspire many, and we are incredibly proud to have been part of it."
