The family of Bradley Tweedy- Bedlington’s own Child of Courage and the famous smile behind Bradley’s Smile Trust- visited Crawford House at The RVI recently to deliver their first donation, of over £1,424.90. The “home from home for families with sick children in hospital”- one of 10 run by The Sick Children’s Trust across the UK- relies wholly on charitable fundraising.
It is one of two organisations supported by Bradley’s Smile Trust, set up by Bradley’s family alongside Northumberland’s monthly social reconnection Movement Punch-Drunk Comedy earlier this year, to give back to the services that have supported Brad since he was born with two severe lung conditions and a diaphragmatic hernia.
Crawford House was relied on heavily by the family during Brad’s first year, the entirety of which he spent in hospital. Terrie explained that the service was crucial to getting the family through that time, allowing them to stay in comfort on hospital grounds to be close to Bradley, particularly during the initial 10 months which he spent in intensive care.
When it was set up earlier this year, Bradley’s Smile Trust was taken straight to the hearts of the ‘Punch-Drunk Army.’ Not just by the Trust’s ‘home’ fans from the Bedlington gig (from which it receives 10% of all ticket revenue and the proceeds of fundraising on the nights) but by the audiences up in Ashington and down in Blyth, too. The neighbour-audiences caused a particular stir recently when they took over social media to send messages of support from Princess Ellie’s Trust in Blyth to Bradley’s Smile Trust in Bedlington and vice versa, starting viral campaigns that became known as #HeartsOotForBradley and #HeartsOotForEllie.
In recent weeks Bradley’s Smile Trust has taken on a life of its own with word spreading fast. The new wristbands which are now on sale in shops and centres around the area as well as at the Punch-Drunk gigs are moving in vast numbers and fundraising events are racking up too.
After raising a phenomenal £1000 by completing a gruelling on-foot coast-to-coast challenge in recent weeks, Brad’s uncle Mark Foster and his brother Dean have now signed up to take part in a Boxing-Day Dip into the icy North Sea in their next bid to support the Trust and its beneficiary charities. Fundraising at the Punch-Drunk Bedlington gigs is rising monthly along with audience sizes and came to a record £375.40 from the September gig which enjoyed another surge in attendance, almost selling out! Other recent fundraising for the Trust has included Helen King’s sponsored challenge to run 150 miles throughout September. She actually achieved an incredible 205 miles, raising £270 in the process!
So not only is Bradley Tweedy a Best of Northumberland Child of Courage 2015- along with his fellow ‘Little Miracle’ Holly Jones- his perennial smile is also the inspiration behind the fastest-growing charitable Trust for children’s causes, in the North East.
The way things are going it’s looking like before too long the Trust will be able to provide substantial ongoing funding for both Crawford House and Little Miracles- the playgroup for children with additional needs that receives the other half of funds raised through the Trust.
The Little Miracles are visiting Beamish on 5th December, using some of the money raised so far by the Trust. Susan Dickinson who runs the playgroup explained that a group trip like this can be very complicated and is always very expensive for the group, taking into account the various additional needs of the children, so this is a big treat and is all thanks to everyone who’s fundraised so far for Bradley’s Smile Trust.
To keep up to date with activities and news on Bradley’s Smile Trust and the other charities supported by Punch-Drunk Comedy and to find out how you can get involved, you can join their respective groups on Facebook: just search ‘Bradley’s Smile Trust’, ‘Princess Ellie’s Trust’, ‘John Joseph’s Journey’ & ‘Nathan’s Needs’.
In October, Punch-Drunk Comedy present John Hastings and support, including the eagerly anticipated return of resident host Kai Humphries- in Blyth (Monday 19th), Bedlington (Tuesday 20th) and Ashington (Wednesday 21st). Tickets are £10 (with 10% going directly to each gig’s partner-charity) and doors open at 7pm, with the show starting at 8pm.
You can reserve tickets now by calling or texting the Box Office on 07738663379 or by visiting
www.ticketsource.co.uk/punchdrunkcomedy/events