A big THANK YOU to the lovely people at Polar Bears who raised a wonderful £500 for us through their classic car events in the summer. They have been huge supporters of the work of the Clowndoctors and we are so grateful for all their enthusiasm, and dedication to Hearts & Minds.
Need to something fun to do on Saturday 26th November? Why not come along to the Sick Kids Christmas Fair where we will be having a festive balloon race to raise pennies for our visits to the Sick Kids in Edinburgh. There will be fabulous prizes to be won, and Dr Squash & Dr CousCous will be there to help spread some seasonal smiles! You could also make a great start on your Christmas shopping and keep the kids entertained with an assortment of exciting activities including a Christmas craft zone, bouncy castle, face painting, hook a duck, lucky dip and a visit from Santa and his elves.
Saturday 26th November, 11am - 3pm, Meadowbank Sports Centre.
Have you ever wondered what our Clowndoctors get up to in their spare time? Wonder no more! The wonderful Dr Squeegie tells Steve Hendry at the Sunday Mail about her alter ego .... Kelly-Marie!
Hearts & Minds are one of the eight founding members of EFHCO - European Federation of Hospital Clown Organisations. It has been created to protect and support the work of hospital clown organisations across Europe, as well as to share and support the learning that comes out of the amazing work we all do. Check out the website! We are excited and proud to have been fundamental in setting this up. www.efhco.eu
We are looking for a dynamic Business & Development Manager to join the Hearts & Minds team to lead on the strategic development, financial planning, fundraising initiatives and marketing strategies of the organisation.
The key responsibilities of this position include:
The strategic development of the company in conjunction with the Artistic Director/CEO; leadership of all company and programme operations and deadlines; to oversee and implement the fundraising strategy; to create and manage effective relationships with key stakeholders and funders; to act as Company Secretary and ensure compliance with legalities surrounding corporate governance; to manage the finances of Hearts & Minds, managing budgets and cash flow and reporting on financial operations to the Board of Directors; to provide line management to the Administrator, Communications & Fundraising Officer, and other freelance workers; to provide operational management to the freelance practitioner team; to ensure that our programmes are compliant with current legislation and hospital practises; to oversee the development and delivery of Hearts & Minds marketing strategy and PR activities; to act as a spokesperson, and to give presentations on the work of Hearts & Minds to potential funders, existing donors and other key stakeholders.
Hours: 35 hours per week Monday-Friday.
Salary: circa £24,000 – £26,520 according to experience
For further information, please contact fiona@heartsminds.org.uk (Fiona Carr), or call 0131 270 6051. The deadline is Monday 31 October 2011 at 12:00.
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The Lyceum Theatre and the National Theatre of Scotland, in conjunction with their co-production of Abi Morgan's 27, are offering three participatory workshops on Clowning and Dementia. The workshops will be led by our Artistic Director, Magdalena Schamberger and will involve a number of our Elderflower Practitioners.
All workshops will be held at the Lyceum. Each workshop will have a different focus, tailored for its target audience, but all will provide theoretical background information, as well as being a practical and participatory workshop focused on communication with people affected with dementia. These sessions will include interactions with the Elderflowers practitioners who make up the Elderflowers family.
Workshop 1: Performing Elderflowers
For theatre practitioners, performers and arts sector workers.
Focus: Elderflower approach and European style theatre clowning
When: Wednesday 2 November, 10am-5pm
To book contact Catherine Campbell on 0131 248 4834 or ccampbell@lyceum.org.uk
Workshop 2: Caring Elderflowers
For carers and healthcare staff.
Focus: Elderflower approach, performing arts based communication techniques and a practical exploration of objects and themes.
When: Thursday 3 November, 10am-1pm
To book contact Lyceum Box Office on 0131 248 4848
Workshop 3: Family Elderflowers
For audience members, general public interested in the subject, including relatives and people affected by issues relating to dementia.
Focus: Elderflower approach, performing arts based communication techniques and an exploration of the Elderflower family concept.
When: Thursday 3 November, 2pm-4.30pm
To book contact Lyceum Box Office on 0131 248 4848
All workshops are free. Place are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Workshops are open to anyone over the age of 16. No previous drama experience is required
Dr Squeegie & Dr Molotoff had the pleasure of attending a vintage car rally in Selkirk last month as guests of the wonderful Sporting Bears. Over 1000 vintage cars of all shapes and sizes chugged into a large, and slightly muddy, field in Selkirk to talk engines and wheel trims. Alongside all the motoring fun, the Sporting Bears were raising funds for the Clowndoctors programme by re-homing a huge array of teddy bears for a small donation. A great day was had by all and Dr Squeegie & Dr Molotoff got to try out lots of new cars! We can't thank the Sporting Bears enough for all the support they have given us over the years and wee are already looking forward to test-driving some more cars next year!
The Clowndoctors had the great pleasure of attending the Belladrum Festival this weekend to help the ARCHIE Foundation and their Raigmore Children's Ward Appeal. Their aim is to completely redevelop the Children's Ward in Raigmore Hospital. Dr CousCous, Dr Sprout & Dr Squeegie, along with some Hearts & Minds staff, spent the weekend selling balloons and generally spreading smiles across the festival. They even made it onto the front page of the Press & Journal!
More photos can be found on our Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/nz0jQm
We are now the proud owners of a beautiful Clowndoctor picture drawn by the wonderfully talented Jack Henderson. Six-year-old Jack devised a unique way to raise funds for the staff at the Sick Kids hospital in Edinburgh, which regularly cares for his brother, Noah. He has put his artistic skills to good use, offering to draw anything in return for a donation to the hospital. He has now raised OVER £20,000 for The Sick Kids Friends Foundation, which we think is rather amazing! Keep up the good work Jack. You can visit his website www.jackdrawsanything.com for more information on this amazing little boy.
A HUGE congratulations to Sarah Emslie, Fiona Carr and Alison Turnbull who took part in Saturday's 10km race, part of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend, for Hearts & Minds. They have so far raised a fantastic £460 for the charity and we are pleased as punch at how well they did! We hope the red noses didn't slow them down too much!!