National newspaper publicity!

Hold the front page! Founding Trustee Maria has recently been interviewed and taken part in a photo shoot for an article to be published very shortly in a national newspaper. This is HUGE news for the Foundation, and we are all hoping that this will bring more supporters to help with our work. More details will follow, but to whet the appetite, you might want to check the Telegraph online on Friday 18th March, and buy the paper on Monday!

Facebook, Twitter, and Website

To build on the publicity from this, it is essential that we increase our social media following. We would encourage you to share this newsletter with your friends and family and ask them to like the Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, visit the website, and share away! Also, our website has had a minor makeover, please visit and let us have your comments. All the links are at the bottom of the page.

Grant Applications open again!

It is really heartwarming to see that good things are being done in the name of the Foundation. The Trustees are once again considering grant applications from young people who wish to pursue their passions. Please spread the news, and encourage worthy candidates to submit an application using the online form, link below!

Volunteer needed!

As you will all know, the Foundation runs on a completely volunteer basis. That means that every penny donated is used to fund the work of the Foundation, which is great! The down side to that is, there is lots of work to do. We are looking for a volunteer who will give a couple of hours a month to help with the admin. This might mean typing a newsletter, helping fill in forms and sending out letters, getting our Gift Aid back from the tax man, that sort of thing. Nothing complicated, but the kind of thing that takes up time. To apply, there is no need for a formal CV, just send an email to info@jamesahernfoundation.org and we will take it from there!

Foundation fundraisers

More great work being done raising funds for the Foundation:

Newport half marathon - many thanks to Andrew Jenkins and James Graham, for running this event on behalf of the Foundation, and raising nearly £1000. Well done!

Come dine with the Foundation - thank you Angharad Ahern for hosting this event in March.

RideLondon100 - this cycling event takes place on 31 July, and covers 100 miles in London and Surrey, including Leith Hill and Box Hill. Rob Pettitt, from our sponsors Northampton Chambers, has secured a place and will be training and riding on behalf of the Foundation. You can support him at his Virgin Money Giving page

Mill Hill unplugged - a fabulous concert was held in November at Mill Hill School (one of our sponsors) and the turnout, performances, and reception was amazing. A huge thank you to everyone involved in the event, and special mention for Richard Greaves for designing the logo which was the backdrop to the event. This is available on a t-shirt, (see photos below) just email us at info@jamesahernfoundation.org and we will let you have details.

The #jamiekiss campaign

A big thank you to everyone who took part in this, see the Facebook page for a collection of photos from around the world. Please keep them coming!

300 Spartans changes

As you will know, since the inception of the Foundation, the 300 Spartans club has been running on a monthly basis. People buy a number for £2, and there is a lottery. Unfortunately, this has become increasingly difficult to keep on top of, with regulatory requirements, and the sheer management of time required.

After much consideration therefore, with effect from April, there will no longer be a monthly lottery. The 300 Spartans will remain, but we are asking people to continue the £2 per number as a donation. In return, they will still get their name in lights as a supporter on the website, and will get VIP invitations and discounts at Foundation events.

This was not an easy decision to make, but the Foundation will benefit immediately by the collection of 25% on the donations by way of Gift Aid (which is not legally possible with lottery tickets), and spending valuable time on other fundraising and events. We hope you support us, and will continue with your membership of the 300 Spartans, but we do of course understand if you wish not to. Please use the links below to check the new 300 Spartans page, and if you haven't already, fill in the online Gift Aid page so we can collect the tax back!

Thank you for your support, stay safe and show kindness!

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PS - don't forget to like and share the Facebook page, nearly 750 likes and counting!