Eckstock is coming on Saturday 14 July, and we'll be there!

Eckstock is Eckington's very own annual music festival held on the Eckington Recreation ground. Featuring local bands and entertainment for all the family, and plenty of food and drink to choose from. #TeamTonia will be there too with our own stall where you'll find a Tombola and Lucky Dip with lots of treats on offer for all ages with all proceeds going towards Tonia's ongoing medical costs.

Eckstock starts at midday on Saturday 14 July and it's just £7.50 entry fee. Find out more on their Facebook page or on their website. All welcome - you don't have to be a villager to attend!

If you have Tombola or Lucky Dip prizes to donate, please get in touch with Sarah by email so she can arrange delivery or collection.

Get your home crafted gifts now from the Conscious Crafties!

Conscious Crafties is a wonderful website, marketplace and community for people suffering from illnesses and disabilities and their carers. It's like Etsy, but the difference is that all the crafters are either disabled or caring for someone who is disabled. Not only that, but goods can be commissioned as well as having ready made items for sale. It's rather wonderful and well worth supporting.

We're very humbled that some of 'The Crafties' have kindly donated their items to help fundraise for Tonia and all proceeds are going towards Tonia's medical costs. Tonia herself is a very talented artist so this is right up our street! The shop is great for small gifts and cards and there are items suitable for friends and family alike.

Why not give it a whirl and support Tonia's Journey in the process? Here's the link.

Meet Who You Tweet on Tuesday 3 July at Browns in Worcester.

Tweeters of Worcestershire and the Three Counties, this one is for you!

The #ToniasJourney #MeetWhoYouTweet social evening is for local tweeters from #WorcestershireHour #MalvernHillsHour #HerefordHour and other Three Counties ‘Twitter Hours’ to meet those you regularly tweet, in person, over a drink and a bite to eat.

This is both a networking and a charity event as we're fundraising to support a young Worcestershire woman – 21-year old Antonia Payne-Cheney, ‘Tonia’ from Eckington, near Pershore. Through local media and social media you have probably heard Tonia’s story: she has an acute form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder, along with complex secondary complaints, and these have caused her brain stem to be compressed and to have further gastro-intestinal failure.

Diagnosed at the age of just 14 and now fed through a tube and bedridden, Tonia’s plight was the focus earlier this year of the programme ‘DIY SOS’ which saw the BBC team transform Tonia’s home and enable her to leave hospital after a three and a half years in a hospital bed.

Following an intense media and social media fundraising campaign, Tonia’s mother, Victoria Cheney, and a small support group, #TeamTonia, sourced sufficient funds and a voluntary paramedic team to get her to Barcelona for treatment, surgery and rehabilitation. We're through phase one (which was gruelling in itself), but now need to raise funds for Tonia's next stage of ‘Tethered Cord’ lower back surgery – to alleviate further debilitating symptoms – along with Tonia’s stay in ICU, other tests and rehabilitation. In short – the need for funds is CRITICAL and the pressure on raising the funds is NOW. Without OUR help the next stage surgery will not proceed and the recent treatment will not fully suffice in alleviating Tonia’s symptoms.

Our event starts at 6pm with a welcome drink. Food will be served throughout the evening. You are welcome to drop in as and when you can, but the longer you are able to stay, the more tweeters you will get to meet and connect with.

Various fundraising activities will be happening on the evening including a raffle.

In support of Tonia and the condition ‘Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome’ we encourage you to wear anything stripey! The icon of EDS is a zebra – so ‘Show Us Your Stripes’ to help raise awareness of this debilitating condition.

Tickets are available now and cost £15. Please buy yours now on Eventbrite.

If you can’t make this event , but still want to support Tonia’s Journey to recovery, then donating the price of a ticket to her JustGiving page would be fabulous!

Will you help us help Tonia?

Capriccio Quartet at The Boathouse, Upton on Severn - This Thursday!

Help us raise money for the final leg of Tonia's treatment and ongoing rehabilitation.

We're holding a fundraiser and you're invited!

Join us on Thursday 28 June 7pm at The Boathouse, Upton on Severn. On the night you can enjoy music from the fabulous Capriccio Quartet whilst munching on delicious tapas and supping something chilled and refreshing.

We'll be selling raffle tickets on the night and the Capriccio Quartet will be taking requests in return for a donation. Their repertoire is vast, so whether you fancy something classical or a reworking of your favourite pop or rock song, then the chances are they can play it! 

You can find out more information about the event and RSVP over on Facebook.