changeforasmile

My name is Kendra and since the age of 13 I have been involved in raising money for local charities and I am enjoying raising money to make people happy and to also give them the support that is needed.
My Gran and Grandad both recently died of cancer so I like to help out Cancer charities.

Mr Chris McCormack who was my school liaison officer has supported me and my family with all the recent distress and problems I have had due to the tragic loss and other problems.
I feel great comfort now in helping others who appreciate not only money but also the support.
Mr McCormack involved me in helping and it has just accumulated from there to where I am now, helping anyone who wants the support.

I was appointed the tour manager of Jaki Loughman who has released a charity c.d. and I organised a large launch night at tall trees, a grand prize raffle and also an auction of a signed Boro ball, a parliament teddy bear and an ITV teddy bear .
It was attended by a lot of top people including Vera Baird QC and a lot of conservative members and counsellors for Stockton.
the night was a great success and enjoyed by all!
In total we have raised £1,141 with these events for Redcar community college prize draw and the Redcar children’s cancer charity the Katie trust.
I have organised many events including a bag pack at local stores and also cleaning tables at MacDonald’s .

I have now decided to collect for Parkinson’s Disease and Jessica.
Parkinson’s because it's my way of thanking Mr Chris McCormack for the help he has given me, Mr McCormack has a close family member with Parkinson’s and Change For A Smile is certainly helping a lot of people and I hope it will increase.
I also included Jessica’s day after reading an article in the evening gazette about a 14 year old girl called Jessica Hawthorne, realising I knew her and her family I decided I’d do what I could to help there cause.
I helped her Gran, Beryl, raise £1,204 for the ward that Jessica’s is now getting treated but now we are raising for Jessica her self, for her needs, as she stated she would like some new clothes due to her change in weight, her bedroom decorated and a holiday for her after she has finished her treatment and is well enough to go.
I get a great enjoyment of seeing the happiness and smiles from everybody when you are able to give help and support and will be continuing to do so.

I'd like to tell you a bit about the person who has done so much for me and also many others, Mr Chris McCormack. The picture above is one i took in preparation for the campaign to use on campaign posters and leaflets.
I helped him campaign for the Inglbey Barwick may elections when he ran for the conservative party, I have a great interest in politics and learnt a lot from helping him and will be looking forward to next years elections which he will be standing for again. He isn't always appreciated for all his time and effort he puts into helping us all so I think he also deserves recognition, I will never be able to thank him enough for everything he has done for me.
He is heavily involved in helping anyone that needs it and never takes time for himself.
I have a lot of admiration and respect for him and Ingleby Barwick will gain so much if he were to obtain a position as he is the right man to do what they need. No offence intended to the cllrs that are holding the position at the moment as they have also given me support, everyone deserves a chance to have go at trying to help the community,and to try and get what they need.

This is me with Mr John Megson, Chairman of the Stockton Conservative Party, he gave tremendous help and support on the charity launch night.
I contacted him for a small favour which ended up being big favours! and he never once refused to help.
He was our Auctioneer and helped raise a substantial amount for the donated prizes which were the Houses of Parliments teddy(that i have hold of, which cm management placed a bid for me as i collect personal teddys)an ITV teddy bear that jaki's parents bid for as a momentum of the night and they bid a good price for and also a boro ball donated by Graham Fordy and Middlesbrough Football Club, which was won by a lady who is well know to you all Mrs Debbie Shariati,from the Ingleby Insider Magazine,who placed the highest bid for it.

This is me with Mr Chris McCormack with our surprise transport for the launch night that I originally arranged and got free of charge to take Jaki and her family. Impressions Limo Owner, Steve, heard of all the work I had done in organising the night and he arranged with the help of my Mam and Chris to come and collect me to get us there early before all the guests, it was the most wonderful experience which I did not expect would be done for me also for Mr Chris McCormack the experience of being in a limo was overwhelming we both appreciated it. The night was a great success. I am looking forward to the many others I am organising.

This is me and Jaki on the launch night, I am jaki's tour manager and I'am responsable for arranging all events involving jaki including the making of the c.d dvd and performances.
this is another part of work I like doing aswell as all my charity work.
We are now working on some new songs that jaki has written, we hope to do an album eventually once we can get enough sponsership for equipment that is needed and also a composer for jaki's songs as it is not something that is done through the school it is something CM Management and myslef do to help the charities.

This is Jessica who i am helping to raise money for, she is a very bubbly young girl who has a tremendous amount of courage, she used to go to my school, and when I seen her in the gazette I contacted her Gran to see if there was any way I could help her, and they gratefully accepted.
I helped them with the event they held by donating prizes and cash which the money raised went to the hospital ward but then I thought that I would like to help further so I asked her Gran what she would like and she told me she would like her bedroom re-decorated everything in pink, some new clothes as due to her weight loss and when she is well enough she would like a little holiday with her mam, so I am now organising events and raffles to raise as much money as possible to carry this out for her.

This is me with my great Nanna, Lily who has recently passed away, this was taken last year on her 90th birthday, she would have been 91 last week on the 18th October 2005 But she died 4 weeks ago before reaching another year, she contributed a lot to the charities by purchasing lots of raffle tickets and winning numerous prizes but donated them back as she only enjoyed contributing to the charity, She won a prize on a charity draw that Mr Tom Newbould, who is a Stockton Conservative party member, done for the Children with Leukaemia appeal which is a National Charity and the Sandra Richardson Stop the Clock Cancer Appeal a local charity which is turning into a trust fund for a local Cancer unit.
My Nanna was very supportive in everything that I did and I was very close as she practically lived with us, because she would come for Christmas and she would go home at Easter or even after that, she will be greatly missed at Christmas as we kept up a tradition me and my Nanna by putting up our stocking and leaving a mince pie and carrot for Father Christmas and Rudolph, she would get up early on Christmas morning and check that he had left something in her stocking! that was her best part of Christmas, especially if she found her walnut whip in her stocking!
She often drank half of the drink we left for them as she didn’t want him getting tipsy on his rounds she said!
The hardest part of loosing her is that she was in good health and went to hospital with just a broken wrist and due to loss of medical files she did not get the care needed.
This resulting in her death. She will be greatly missed by us all.

In Loving Memory Of My Great Nanna Lily

This is my gran & grandad (tiny & eddie)they died of cancer first my grandad on 4th November 2003 then 10 month later my gran on 24th September 2004, they were very special to me.
I spent a lot of time with them they done everything that my mam was unable to do for me,for instance holidays, shopping, and anything that was outside dutys, as my mam is disabled and suffers with M.E and agraphobia . I have so many fond memories of them that I can think on whenever I need to. The most memorable times are the brilliant holidays to blackpool as that was there favorite place we would go about 3 times a year.My gran & grandad were loving, friendly, and kind and would help anyone that is where I have learnt it from.They learnt me so much about caring and sharing all that can be done to help others who need it,you have to give respect to get respect and give out love to get love back. Doing charity work helps me come to terms with their deaths each day gets a little bit easier but they will never be forgotten they are loved as much now as they were when they were alive.

In Loving Memory Of My Gran And Grandad

This is my favourite poem and i have alot of items with this inscription on.
It means alot to me and helps me when i feel low.

One night a man had a dream,
He dreamt he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he
looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The Lord replied,
"My son, My precious child, I love you and I would
never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I Carried You."

The following poem i wrote in memory of my grandad, i used all the stories he used to tell me about being in the war. i entered the poem into a poetry competition and it ended up being published in a book called "body and soul" with other poems from the north east.
I am now producing and publishing a poetry book myself to sell for my charities, I have asked councillors,M.P's family friends anybody who is willing to contribute and I have had a great response.
anybody who is wishing to contribute please contact me a.s.a.p as i am going to be publishing the book soon.

Home Is Where I Belong

What's the point in being here,
In this dark and frightening place,
Im facing all my fears,
With a frown upon my face.

My family are at home sending me a prayer,
I send them love and I send them a letter,
All I want is to be with them there,
And make things a bit better.

I cant sleep at night 'cause I here voices all around,
Guns being fired and shouting everywhere,
I sit up to get some air, there a dead body on the ground.
I cant take this anymore, the emotion I cant bare.

As I sit in the muddy,bloody trench,
I ask my self questions like "where is our alliance?"
"Were is our help?" "were is the French?"
"Why cant they help us? its not rocket science"

I can smell smoke, rotting bodies and fire,
I would be rather be smelling my wife's cologne,
I wish I could just step other the barricading wire,
Then I could return straight to my home.

The crying the shouting the talking out loud,
I want to be with my family, I want to be at home,
But I cant, I want to do my country proud.

This place I now call home is scary and I'm afraid,
I don't want to break the promise that I made,
To fight for my country but not to loose my life.

No more risk and no more pain,
War is almost ending,
So I can return back home again,
No more letters I will be sending.

In memory of my loving Grandad Eddie

Author
Kendra Teresa Rachel Pilcher

Here is a photo of me after I recieved my award for citizen of the year . It was the service recognition award from the Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland. I was so happy to recieve it. I dont know how they Knew about my charity work but I was very suprised when I got told I was first person to recieve this type of award its now displayed along side a framed certificate from them in my home for everbody to see.

Kendra puts poetry project in motion for charity cash
Sep 9 2006
Dave Robson, Evening Gazette

Young charity dynamo Kendra Pilcher is using the power of poetry for her latest fundraising venture.

Since 2003, Redcar schoolgirl Kendra, 15, has spent most of her free time helping others.

Because her epilepsy confines her to home much of the time, she has tapped into her spare time, her computer skills and her compassion to spearhead several charity ventures.

The first, Change For A Smile, asked people to donate their loose change to help people with Parkinson's Disease.

Then she helped raise hundreds of pounds for Redcar schoolgirl Jessica Hawthorne and the hospital ward she was in after reading in the Gazette of her battle with leukaemia.

More recently, Kendra has been raising money for inspirational Dormanstown youngster Hannah Dowson, whose fight against serious health conditions, combined with going blind just before Christmas, touched Teesside hearts.

Now Kendra, a Y11 pupil at Redcar Community College, is compiling poems to publish in a book to raise funds for her adopted good causes.

More than 50 people - including Redcar MP Vera Baird - have so far donated poems. But with the lowest quote so far to print the book £475, she is now on the lookout for a cheaper option.

Kendra got the bug for helping people when raising cash for her school's end of term scheme to reward good attenders with prizes.

Since then, she has devoted her spare time to helping others, as one look at her website will confirm.

Inspired by the memory of her beloved grandparents - grandad Eddie, gran Freda and nan Lily all died within 22 months of each other - she helps cancer charities too. Epilepsy Research is also likely to be helped by her soon.

And it was her grandad who inspired the poetry book idea. A poem by Kendra in his memory, Home Is Where I Belong, was published in a national compendium, so she decided to compile her own.

But despite all her work, she prefers to keep a low profile.

Kendra, who plans to study art and design at college, said: "I just enjoy helping people.

"There are people out there needing help and someone's got to do it, so I thought I might as well have a go!"

This was an editorial that was placed in the yarm times magazine by a a lady called leanne who works for the gazette media ,she had been told about all the work that i do and thought it would be nice to let others know as well it was so nice of her and i appreciate the help and support she has given along with the great support i have always been given from Mr Dave Robson the chief reporter for the Redcar Evening gazette hes a man that is admired by so many people and deserves recognition for everything he does to help others also he has hidden talents not yet known my thanks go to him always .

Below is the story that Sam from the Circuit Newspaper wrote about me. There will also be a report published later this month in the first publication of a new paper called the standard.Sam is going to do whatever she can to help me get any support that can be given to help me accomplish getting my poetry book published before the deadline I have set! which is to have the book on sale before christmas.

Northern Echo Monday 30th October 2006
By Mr Chris Brayshay

Fundraiser determined to create a smile

A TEENAGER is devoting all of her spare time to raising thousands of pounds - to make people smile.

Kendra Pilcher, 15, a pupil at Redcar Community College, said: "I want to help, to make people happy.''

Along with friends, the youngster raised £1,600 at a benefit charity night at the Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm.

continued...
She has so far persuaded nearly 70 people, including Redcar MP Vera Baird and local politicians of all parties, to donate a poem for an anthology she wants to see published in time for Christmas.

Middlesbrough-born Fame Academy contestant singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin has donated the lyrics of a song, for the book.

Kendra said: "The quotes I have received to print the book have been from £800 and the cheapest I have been able to get is for £445.

"I don't intend to let anyone down, and I'm determined to reach the deadline I have set to have the book on sale before Christmas. Even if I have to pay for it myself, I will raise the £445.

"I have a few personal items that I will probably even sell, to get this money together.''

The tireless fundraiser has asked people to donate their loose change for her campaign - Change For a Smile - to help sufferers of Parkinson's Disease, while she raised funds to help leukaemia suffer, Redcar schoolgirl Jessica Hawthorne, and the hospital ward which was treating her.

She also helps cancer charities, prompted by the death of her grandparents in 2003 and 2004, both from the disease, and her great grandmother's death, last year.

Kendra said: "I just wanted to give something back and I thought this was a good way of helping people.''

People can donate a poem, or help with printing the book, by contacting Kendra through her website www .changeforasmile.piczo.com

Piczo