Former Casting for Recovery participant Maggie Taylor writes: "The Bay Horse Babes is a group of ladies, most of whom are regulars at The Bay Horse pub in the hamlet of Arnold in East Yorkshire.
I first came up with the idea of The Bay Horse Babes when my 27 year-old niece was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. The idea was that we would do Race for Life 5k & Pretty Muddy 5k (once each) and raise a bit of money for Cancer Research.
However, by the time we did our runs, I had also been diagnosed with breast cancer and the project snowballed. The manager of the pub at that time assisted us in putting on a fundraising party after we had done our runs, so that we could add more to the sponsor money we had already collected and that year we raised approximately £2,500. Obviously once we had raised that amount of money, it became very clear that we needed to make this an annual thing, so in 2016 we did Pretty Muddy again and had another party – and raised another £2,500. And so to 2017: I felt that as we'd already raised £5,000 for Cancer Research, I wanted to spread our efforts a bit further and raise money for some of the organisations that had helped me when I had cancer.
After discussions with my fellow team organisers, it was agreed that everything raised through online sponsorship would once again go to Cancer Research (Pretty Muddy is their event, after all) and the balance would be split 50% to the hospital where I was treated – and which has treated other team members and their family members and 25% each to Casting for Recovery and Look Good Feel Better.
The reason I picked Casting for Recovery was that I was lucky enough to join them for the 2016 retreat at the
The Coniston Hotel Country Estate and Spa in North Yorkshire, where I had the most amazing time making new friends, eating (far too much) delicious food and learning to fly fish – a hobby which I have now adopted and enjoy doing with my husband and friends. So it was against this background that the team set off on its Pretty Muddy 5k run on 24th June 2017 and then held its annual party at the pub a fortnight later on 8th July.
This year's party included a disco in one room and a casino in another (both kindly provided by the pub), a raffle with wonderful prizes including a 43" television, a charm bracelet, food & drink hampers among other things, and an auction for a family ticket to see Hull Kingston Rovers rugby team (with the children being mascots at the match). This year's events excelled our wildest dreams and the team raised over £4,000 in total. £945 of this was raised through online sponsorship and went to cancer research, leaving a balance of £3,115 to be shared between the other charities. We are therefore delighted to have been able to send £778.76 to Casting for Recovery, where we understand it will be used towards the cost of the 2018 retreats."
Thanks Maggie, and to everyone who supported this fundraising initiative, notably
Tony Badcock
Ann-Marie Badcock
Mark Goodrick
The Bay Horse, Arnold. All money raised for CfR will go straight towards our 2018 retreats. Thank you!!!!!