50. Alum Bay and the Glass Vase

Well, I spent my 51st birthday on the Isle of  Wight and finished off my 50/50  experiences with a a trip to Alum  Bay and a ride on the rickety old chairlift down to the beach.

Steven then treated me to this beautiful iridescent vase from the glass studios there. It is a tall blue glass vase with green/yellow/purple overlay and looks stunning in the light.

I have really enjoyed the last year and ended up doing some fun things - highlights include not 1, but 2 trips to New York, eating at the restaurant at the top of the BT Tower and amazing  WW1 battlefield tour of Flanders.

I was treated to some great experiences by others such as the Harry Potter Studio tour from Jared, the ride round Central Park in a horse drawn buggy by Mum and an Aqua Massage from Angie!

I also enjoyed learning to crochet from Laura, making my own Christmas wreath, having my DNA tested and even cooking my first home made curry!

I tried to do some good along the way and raised £100 for the Blue Cross, bought a Poppy from the Tower of London and Crowdfunded a charity and a book launch

Although the year is over now, I hope to carry on saying YES to things I might not have done - and have started by being involved in a publicity photo shoot for St Elizabeth Hospice and impulse buying a new car! There is still a long list of ideas that I never got round to doing which I will keep and hopefully cross off  as time goes on.

Thanks to everyone involved along the way and my advice to you all is Give It A Go and Have Some Fun!

15. Help crowdfund a good cause

Its only a small amount but I have made a donation via a crowdfunding site to support a local community group.I choose NF2 -  based in Stowmarket

 NF2 is a rare genetic condition that causes the growth of multiple benign tumours throughout the nervous system, most commonly seen in the brain and spine. NF2 may be passed on from parent to child at the time of conception, or it may start in a family with no previous history of the condition. It occurs in 1 in 35000 of the population, is often life limiting, and currently has no cure.

Can You Hear Us? C.I.C (CYHU) is the first UK organisation to provide informal Social Gatherings that bring people with NF2 together in a carefree, friendly atmosphere. The primary aims of the Gatherings are; to reduce the effects of isolation, increase resilience, improve confidence and self-esteem, and build a supportive community for people affected by NF2 in the UK.

Many people affected by NF2 require psychological support and often carry the burden of multiple disabilities such as hearing loss, visual impairment, facial nerve dysfunction, swallowing complications, chronic pain, balance difficulties, muscle wastage, restricted limb function, and sometimes are reduced to using a wheelchair.

The Social Gatherings give people the chance to try new things in a supportive environment by featuring a variety of fun, and sometimes slightly challenging, activities that help people to build positive attitudes towards their abilities. Contrary to the usual focus on what NF2 patients cannot do, attention is projected onto the things that they can do, which, with occasional support from others, is much more than they think.

There are lots of  crowdfunding sites such as 

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/
https://www.buzzbnk.org/
http://www.zequs.com/
http://www.sponsume.com/

So if you have a tenner to spare, why not consider giving  it to help some people do something good??