Rosie Scribble

Life, blogging and keeping your chin up

I have decided this week that there are some definite benefits to the online rant. You can really express how you feel and at times you can gain some much needed support. But always wary of causing offence, I’ve flared up offline instead. But sometimes I’d like to let my online friends in a little more.

It isn’t always possible. And in a very public space, where Google stores everything and anyone can read anything, it probably isn’t always wise.

So all I’ll say is that I’ve decided to call a halt to the job hunt I’ve been embarking on for the last couple of months. After travelling long distances for jobs that simply didn’t exist, I’ve decided to enjoy some more time working from home and the flexibility that gives me in terms of childcare. And also because it means I can eat biscuits and drink as much coffee as I like when I like.

And there’s also Twitter.

Tesco Charitable Mum of the Year 2012

Here's a moving, inspirational story to kick off your week, which we would never have known about if one young boy hadn't decided to nominate his mum.

The prestigious Tesco Charitable Mum of the Year Award has been won by Sharon Sambrook from the West Midlands. Sharon has raised £90,000 for The Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust Ben Sambrook Fund – an umbrella group she set up in her son’s name – to help fund clinical trials into brain tumours. She also works to support families whose children have been diagnosed with a serious illness or disability.

Sharon was nominated by son Ben who at twelve years old has already experienced more than many. Ben was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour aged just seven. Sharon and her husband faced the trauma of caring for their son as he went through a six-hour operation to remove the tumour followed by radiotherapy and, due to the kind of tumour Ben had, adult chemotherapy which had to be administered at home by Sharon.

There is currently no cure for Ben’s type of tumour, but against the odds he has been clear for four years, and goes for regular scans to ensure the tumour has not returned. On nominating his mum for a Tesco Mum of the Year Award, Ben said:

“I survived the brain tumour with big thanks to my mum and dad. My mum just wants other parents to get support and not feel so alone.”

The staggering fact that brain tumours account for more deaths among children and those under the age of 40 than any other cancer propelled Sharon into action, making her determined to generate funds for research into brain tumours in the hope of a scientific breakthrough. Since 2007, Sharon has raised a staggering £90,000 through a continuous stream of events including themed charity balls, tribute nights, sponsored sporting events and tea parties.

The Tesco Mum of the Year Awards is now in its seventh year. The judging panel, including Michelle Mone OBE, Arlene Phillips OBE, Denise Lewis OBE, Emma Forbes, our very own Tara Cain and Tesco magazine representatives, reviewed thousands of entries before selecting the winning mums.

Sharon, along with seven other winners, will be presented with her Tesco Mum of the Year Award at a glittering star-studded ceremony in London in March 2012. Many congratulations to each and every one of them.

Visit Tesco Mum of the Year Awards for more information.

Sponsored post.

Why I've been keeping an eye on William and Catherine this week

Very rarely can I say I'm following in the footsteps of Royalty.  In fact, this is a first. You see, next week I’m flying off to Denmark to visit UNICEF's Global Supply Centre in Copenhagen and following in the footsteps of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who were there on Wednesday.

The purpose of their trip was help focus attention back the on-going humanitarian disaster in the horn of Africa where approximately 13 million people are at risk of starvation, half of them children.

I'm travelling there to find out more about UNICEF's Inspired Christmas Gifts range which I’ll be helping to promote in the run-up to Christmas.

It seems a lifetime ago since I last witnessed the work of UNICEF first hand. It’s a charity whose work I feel passionate about having been involved with their corporate partnership with Pampers, so I’m excited to be getting more involved in their work again.

The Photo Gallery: Inspirational People

The death of young Harry Moseley really got to me this weekend. It’s not difficult to understand why. He was just eleven. A child, at the beginning of his life, with so much to live for, when he lost his battle against cancer.

You don’t need to be a mother to feel the tragedy here and to appreciate the huge sense of loss his family must be feeling right now in these very early days.

At times like this it makes me reflect on the fragility of life, the importance of making the most of every single day, and of celebrating what I have rather than dwelling on what I have not.

Harry, like a close family friend only a few years ago, died from an inoperable brain tumour. Yet despite his illness Harry helped to raised over £500,000 for brain cancer research by fundraising and selling hand-made bracelets through his website Help Harry Help Others and Twitter account.

I never met Harry but his fighting spirit and concern for the welfare of others has taught me a lot.

An inspirational young man; gone far too soon. May his memory live on.

www.helpharryhelpothers.com

The Design Museum, Holon, Israel

After a late night, an eventful journey and a time difference that meant we lost two hours when we arrived, the sight of someone hanging off the side of a building was nearly enough to send me over the edge, for want of a better expression.

Had I been slightly more alert I would have rushed to this person’s aid. Thankfully the drama was short-lived as it turned out to be a stuffed dummy designed to grab attention, which it certainly did.

In fact there were several of these dummies literally hanging about.

The location was the recently opened Design Museum Holon, a short drive from Tel Aviv, which attracts visitors keen to see both the building’s unusual architecture and the various design exhibitions it showcases throughout the year.

The building, designed byRon Arad, is made of from ribbons of weathered steel, and in its current exhibition nothing is quite as it seems, from chairs made of balloons to bookcases made of books.

The exhibition is designed to make you think, by adding a new idea to an old concept.

It was just one stop on a day that saw us warmly welcomed by our hosts Kinetis, a non-profit, apolitical organisation that runs the Vibe Israel programme offering visitors a personalised tour of the country and the opportunity to see the real Israel aside from the view of the country reported in the news.

We met local journalists and editors, toured a story garden project where children's gardens are designed and built around the theme of children's literature, and heard more about Holon - named the City of Children.

One person that simply cannot go unmentioned is Moran Samuel -  the most inspiring person I have ever met. Five years ago the aspiring athlete and physiotherapy student suffered a stroke in her spinal cord, without warning, which left her paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.

Despite poor health her attitude reminded incredibly positive and optimistic. After a three months rehabilitation period she returned to her studies, completed her degree and achieved her goal of competing as an athlete at international level.

Moran now works as a physiotherpist with disabled children and competes in the Israeli men's basketball team. Six months ago she decided to take up rowing and has recently returned from Germany where she won a bronze medal in the Munich paralympics. Her sights are now set on London 2012. Without doubt, she will make it there.

An exceptional woman whose story warrants an entire blog post to itself, if not an entire blog, so do go and read Sally's post which tells Moran's story in more detail.

Moran's incredible ability to focus on the positive no matter how horrendous the circumstances you suddenly find yourself in are, has taught me a great deal.