So, if you fancy a quintessentially British day out for all the family this summer, there’s all sorts going on including lots of beautiful open gardens to explore, cream teas, a tent serving Pimms and strawberries at The Manor, a dog show at the Cross Keys pub, a vintage tractor display, birdwatching tips from the Ornothology society and a children’s bushcraft skills workshop to pick up a few survival skills in the style of Bear Grylls! There will also be live music from the wandering minstrels and choral music with the choir, teas from the WI, a Granny’s attic stall, food and cake stalls, a raffle at the bus stop and lots more children’s activities and attractions including a miniature steam traction engine.

The festival only happens every two years so make sure you don’t miss out. It’s on Sunday the 16th June from 12 noon until 5pm in Epperstone village near Lowdham, just off the A6097. Admission to all open gardens is just £3 per person with under 16′s going free and there’s free car parking too so it’s a good day out for three very good causes.

The trek is 38 miles long and Sarah will be trekking an average of 6-8 hours each day for 6 days. The terrain is very challenging with steep inclines, crumbling rocky paths and of course A LOT of steps. And all this at high altitude, so it’s quite a challenge.

She aims to cover the costs of doing the challenge herself so that whatever donations people give will go straight to the charity. If you’d like to show your support you can make a donation through her Just Giving page here – www.justgiving.com/Sarah-Bailey23, And any donations, big or small, will be greatly appreciated – as will any of words of encouragement too!

If you’re planning to return to Nottingham over the summer and are a marketing graduate from another university then you’re also welcome to apply. The closing date is 20th May, please email kate@michoncreative.co.uk for more details.

Donations are urgently needed of non-perishable foods and other items such as: rice, pasta, couscous, cereals, long-life milk, tea bags, sugar, flour, salt/pepper,  lentils, baked beans, tinned foods, chick peas, kidney beans, cooking oil, sauces/spices, packet soups, packet noodles, shampoo/soap, toilet rolls, female hygiene products, washing powder, fabric softener, washing up liquid. If you would like to arrange a donation to the St Anns & Sneinton Food Store please call 07827 248750 or email food.store@stannsadvice.org.uk.

Barry and Steph are also setting up facilities to start providing clothing and furniture for people in need in the area so will also be accepting donations for that in the near future too.

Unfortunately, the need for food banks throughout the whole of the UK has increased rapidly in recent months so if this one isn’t nearby you, perhaps you could arrange a collection for one that is. The Trussel Trust has a network of food banks throughout the UK or you you can find one in your area through Google. One thing is for sure, the people in need of food banks and the people running them really are relying on the kindness of strangers.

If you’re not thinking of having a clear out then you could make a donation instead. It costs approximately £500,000 a year to keep the RSPCA centre in Radcliffe on Trent open, that’s around £1400 a day! They’re an independent charity that receives no financial assistance from the RSPCA, The National Lottery or the Government. They have to raise all of their funds themselves from local people, companies and other organisations.  If you want to make a donation then you can do so here – RSPCA Radcliffe on Trent Donations.

Kate, Beth, Kim, Tony and Dave are taking part in the Three Peaks Challenge. They’ll be taking a leisurely stroll up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – all within 24 hours on the 28th June (blister plasters at the ready).

Their chosen charity is Maggie’s Centre, who provide support and care to people living with cancer. This is a very deserving charity, that is close to our hearts. If you would like to sponsor them, or find out more about Maggie’s Centre, you can visit their page at: http://www.justgiving.com/michonthreepeaks

We’ve had a fantastic response to our Pitch it to Michon competition recently and we just wanted to say a massive ‘THANK YOU!’ to everyone that has applied. The standard of entries is fantastic and we’ve had a huge variety of companies apply too, which is truly inspiring for us. The response has been so good that’s it’s going to be a difficult few weeks whittling them down to the next stage. We’ll be contacting everyone just as soon as we can to let them know if they’re through so, if you’re one of them, please be patient! Whoever does make it through to the semi finals will be asked to come in and present their ideas to us in more detail while we film them. The films will then be be shared online for the public to vote for their favourite, and this will be the wildcard entry to the final. The Michon judges will then decide on the other finalists.

In case you haven’t heard about Pitch it to Michon yet, we’ll be giving £15,000 worth of design and marketing to somebody who has recently set up their own business. It’s all part of the celebrations for Michon’s 30th year and is about lending a helping hand to a new businesses by giving them the benefit of our 30 years’ experience. The winner will be someone that we really believe in and an idea that really inspires us.

Entries closed last Friday but you can still find out more about the competition here:
Pitch it to Michon

Good luck to all who have entered!

If you’re planning to return to Nottingham over the summer and are a design graduate from another university then you’re also welcome to apply. The closing date is 26th April, please email info@michoncreative.co.uk for more details.