Over the past decade, the Castle Comfort Group has been pleased to maintain its policy of searching for beneficiaries of worthy causes to benefit from its charity arm - the Doug Brown Motor Neurone Fund. Care is always taken to ensure that the recipients enjoy 100% of the amounts involved therefore avoiding what is often sadly not the case with many appeals and charities. Intermediaries and professional fundraisers nearly always dilute the benefits of generosity.

Terry Conroy of Stoke City and Eire fame kindly agreed to be patron of the fund and has never failed to assist, and always without reward, on cheque presentation days. Similarly always present, is Dr Neil Stirling.

William Roache - alias Ken Barlow - is a relative newcomer to the company's team, but following his involvement in the CCC Carer of the Year voting task ?? has been delighted to have major fund payouts named after him.

Here, we outline just some of the good deeds in which Castle Comfort directors and staff have been involved.

Within no time - a posse of well-wishers from Castle Comfort, headed by Dr Stirling was despatched to Roy's home to give him 500 euros so he could continue with his holiday plans. The chairlift specialist had just been paid in euros for a job so the directors didn't even have to go to the bank to buy the currency.

Roy was a bit embarrassed to be on the receiving end of a good deed - and he asked us to make it clear that he is the one usually helping others. On returning from his coach trip he wasted no time in visiting Castle Comfort's showroom at Newcastle under Lyme to say thanks. The stairlift company has also been inundated with letters from members of the public - and Roy's family to acknowledge the gesture.

The £500 raised enabled Terry Conroy to present the required sum of £1225 to Staff Nurse Scott Dobing of Ward 24 who is the son of Terry's former 1972 league cup victory colleague - Peter Dobing.

FORMER STOKE AA MAN ROGER PROVES HE??S VERY POWERFUL

Castle Comfort Director Ann Bruce sees Roger off!

Super fit Roger Wright of Stoke on Trent is a regular trekking visitor to the Himalayas. When Castle Comfort Stairlifts learnt of a fantastic effort to help a remote village in the Mount Everest region have their very own power plant they thought they might help.

Roger and a team of 20 colleagues, all from Staffordshire are funding their own trips as several visits are needed sleeping under canvass and working hard to build the plant where no electricity has even been installed.

In return for the £1,000 kick-start to the fund, Roger agreed to take a lightweight model to Mount Everest and this is to be registered in the Guinness book of Records as the highest stairlift in the world!

Watch this space for ongoing news about this fantastic effort. Any businesses wishing to help please call Castle Comfort Stairlifts on 01782 612771.

See Castle Comfort Clarion Article

See Castle Comfort Clarion Article

After they had clubbed together to pledge a ?500 reward announced by the Evening Sentinel - Newcastle CID phoned the next day to say that 2 teenagers had been arrested.

A BIG THANK YOU TO DOREEN - LATIN AMERICAN STYLE

A principle that Castle Comfort's charity division has always maintained - is that intermediaries do not water down the benefits or donations or good deeds. We know that professional fundraisers have to live - but it is noticeable when often large salaries, and cars equaling rewards well above minimum wage or local pay rates are offered.

The belief that 'charity begins at home' was clearly in the thoughts of Keith Simpson when his mother, who served voluntarily as Company Secretary, passed away. Doreen Simpson had been the single inspiration for the start of what is now a national chairlift company - when she needed such products herself.

This proud lady left a wardrobe of excellent and carefully cared-for clothes etc. - and the time came to approach the usual high street charity shops. However, Doreen's family had another idea. The CCC MD made a personally funded trip to a poverty stricken area of South America to hand-deliver to appreciative natives - lots of 'Doreen goodies'. We think from the expressions on the faces of the lucky recipients - the trip seems to have been well worthwhile.

Then, during a journey of quite a few thousand miles - Keith then found himself in Then, during a journey of quite a few thousand miles - Keith then found himself in hospital visiting relatives of friends who had carelessly damaged themselves with fireworks. In the packed and cockroach-infested ward he heard the desperate screams of farm labourer Candido Quispe. Questions were asked.

Apparently his gall stone removal had been postponed again and again due to lack of funds to pay for the anaesthetist. Quite a story was revealed - which ended up in Keith forking out the specialist's fee (a modest $80) in return for a pledge to get the job done quickly! It wasn't done as speedily as all would have liked...

See Castle Comfort Clarion for full story

...but the relief seen on Candido's face shows a happy ending.

In the words of one Castle Comfort team member, Stephen Auker -
"Cancer will touch ALL OF US in some way at some time"

Castle Comfort Stairlifts team member, Stephen Auker, was delighted to accept his firm's idea to become the main corporate sponsor in 2009 for his amazing efforts to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

Last year Stephen made a pledge to raise £50,000 for Cancer Research UK and by the end of 2008 had raised in excess of £10,000 and ran 1,000 miles. In a BBC Radio Leeds interview in January, listen here , the listeners were asked to suggest a new target for Stephen in 2009, the results of which means he is now aiming for an ambitious, but possible 2000 miles!

The offer put to 'Stairlift Stephen' as he is now known, is that an initial £500 would be pledged if he completed the Stoke on Trent 'arf marathon' with a cardboard model strapped to his back! He accepted - but it remains to be seen if he delivers! We think so. When this man sets out to do something he achieves it - a policy we are seeing through his valuable help to the Castle Comfort Group with his IT expertise. Other amounts have been raised already - the staff at Castle Comfort chipped in an extra tenner a head - and rentals charged for loan chairs and wheelchairs are heading towards the appeal. Full details of donations so far can be seen on www.justgiving.com/stephenauker

Posters like the one featured here can be seen spotted all over Stoke on Trent and Newcastle under Lyme - and many business contacts of the homecare products company have kindly displayed one in their workplaces and staff rooms. All local branches of Morrison's Supermarkets - where Castle Comfort display regularly their stair lifts, see morrisons.co.uk, have been delighted to site a poster.

Why is Stephen doing it?

In his own words "Cancer will touch ALL OF US in some way at some time. Plus one in three of us will PERSONALLY SUFFER from cancer in our lifetime. "This is my small way to help all of us and our children in the future"

Celebrities such as Noel Edmonds, Jenni Falconer, Sharon Brown, Carol McGiffin,  are also supporting Stephen's magnificent effort via an internet social networking group, Twitter. Further sponsors or just plain well wishers, can contact him through his site or directly to Steve from here or follow Stephen on Twitter here.

NOT ALL GOOD DEEDS NEED CASH!

It is thought often that charitable acts and good deeds need the availability of money well in this section, we highlight a few newsworthy acts that show that often not a single penny is needed to help our society.

Firstly, CASTLE COMFORT STAIRLIFTS of Staffordshire, when they began their annual 'Carer of the Year Award' - wrote to numerous Stoke on Trent and Manchester based people all with one thing in common. They all have a well respected profile in society. It was time to form the Voting Panel ?? and a fantastic response was received from the following, which were delighted to give their time and effort to help.

See Clarion Article

The panel chose CYNTHIA HUGHES, shown below right, of Stoke on Trent as the first ever CCS Carer of the Year.

See Clarion Article

North Staffordshire proudly has a reputation of having some of the best carers in the UK. To highlight the fact, Wolstanton-based Castle Comfort Centre has again launched their GOLD ACCOLADE CARER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

From the beginning of 2007 nominations had been pouring in and from these, the panel shown above picked out Cynthia Hughes to be the winner.

SPANISH LORRY DRIVER SAYS THANK YOU FOR HELP AFTER CRASH
MUCHAS GRACIAS TO YOU FOR HELPING SAVE MY LIFE

Similarly a deed, which cost nothing - other than a bit time of time and interest in the misfortune of others - resulted in the biggest local press coverage that Castle Comfort Stairlifts have ever been involved in their history. It began when Managing Director and founder of the chairlift company, Keith Simpson heard on a BBC Radio Stoke breaking news headline that a Spanish registered lorry had overturned on the M6 and caused traffic mayhem and the motorway was closed for hours.

Keith, who runs the stairlift offices in Madrid and having been closely connected with Spain for nearly three decades (and speaks the language like a native) thought he might help. Jose Perez from Murcia had got his Preston-bound lorry full of asparagus mangled up with a dozen other vehicles. No one was killed, miraculously, but Jose was the worse off by far, so he was whipped off to intensive care at the University Hospital for emergency surgery. Keith, guessing the poor guy wouldn't speak a word of English waited to meet him when he came round from general anaesthetic. Jose was weak but delighted that a stranger who knew his language had been bothered about him. The unfortunate trucker took advantage straight away by persuading the doctors, with Keith translating, to withdraw the morphine that had been administered. He preferred to suffer the pain than drug!

Then, the entire necessary liaison with Jose's family, friends and employer was sorted out; a Spanish newspaper downloaded off the web was delivered to him daily during his time in hospital. The police took no action against the foreign driver or his company (as all papers were in order) and to this day Jose is still telling his friends at home that this was because Keith's brother is a local policeman ... a claim strongly denied by the Castle Comfort chief!

The Sentinel covered the whole event with several articles during the next few days, including an emotional meeting with Longton firemen who cut Jose out of the wreckage. The Spaniard insisted that Keith found these 'fantasticos' guys, pictured on the left, and ensured they came to the ward to receive the bottle of Spanish wine that was waiting for them! Jose's appreciation of all concerned including the doctors and nurses was well documented in the press.

After the stairlift company chief drove Jose to Manchester airport to catch his flight home (his lorry was in no fit state to be driven back) a colleague of the Andalucian fruit & veg delivery turned up at Castle Comfort Stairlifts head office at Newcastle under Lyme with a load of the Freshest Strawberries Imaginable!
The staff were on them for weeks.

GOALIES UNITED!

During the emotional meeting of Terry and Dennis - it was let slip by the former goalkeeping hero that he had a big ambition in life. Incredibly, Dennis had never met his counterpart legend Gordon Banks. A few words from Keith at Castle Comfort in the ear of former Stoke player Geoff Scott of Ex Pro - resulted in a pledge that it would be sorted in no time.

The two former goalies are seen here enjoying a 'bevy' and lunch together at the Crown at Betley See Sentinel Article

PAST AND ONGOING GOOD DEEDS SHORTLY TO BE FEATURED...

Local Councillor kidnap ransom boosts hospital fund...
...which leads to...
Bucknall Hospital payout for respiratory equipment


Ryan at just 13, a worthy cause for Castle Comfort's assistance. The funding of the stairlift made Ryan's short life a little easier.

The MN association is always grateful

...As is the Douglas Macmillan hospice.

Castle Comfort MD has a soft spot for a fantastic hospital, which cared for his late mother.

Police inspector gets Castle Comfort to assist annually with the Joan Marie Lourdes visit.

Charitable deeds do not just have to be with just cash - blood is priceless! A Castle Comfort team member is a life long super donor - but read why the top man's blood was refused.

A Stoke on Trent football-mad family sponsored by Castle Comfort helps the 'Dougie Mac' hospice.

A Sportsman's evening knees up by the team led by Terry Conroy boosts the Peter Pan Nursery funds needed to look after their children.

The 'Rehab Angels Football team' - a group of lady OT's from the Haywood Hospital team is sponsored by Castle Comfort Stairlifts.

Jonnie and Katie Watson wearing CC Stairlifts shirts cycle the length of the UK to raise funds for their late father's charity.

Castle Comfort assists the North Staffs Carers Association conference and Keith Simpson finally meets The Sentinel Editor who regularly reports (good things) about him!