Newsletter December 2024

2025 Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge

Next year, after being inspired by Andy Shields doing his mammoth National Three Peaks fundraiser in 2024, Nev Stevenson (Head of Service) and Penny Partlow (Fundraising and Finance Oficer) will be taking part in the slightly less gruelling, Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge to raise money for SARAG in 2025.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks are arranged in a triangle, with the River Ribble and two minor B roads between them. The total walking distance is 39.2 km (24.5 miles).

We will begin the Challenge at 6am at Chapel le Dale and walking the route anticlockwise, go through Ingleborough, then Pen-y-Ghent, then Whernside to finish back where we started. This should take us around 12 hours to complete.

WILL YOU WALK WITH US TO SUPPORT SARAG TO CONTINUE OUR VITAL WORK?

We can take 10 supporters on each date, and we have provisionally booked Sunday 29th June and Saturday 18th October. Each place on the walk costs £80 however if you can raise over £150 in sponsorship for the charity, SARAG can cover your entry cost.

This is the Itinerary of the day

5.30am – Meet in Chapel le Dale. Arrive having eaten breakfast.

Free parking available in Chapel le Dale, in the field next to The Old Hill Inn, or the layby off the road. Postcode for start/finish parking: LA6 3AR.

Meet your leader and team

By 6am Start the challenge.

Approx. 8am Summit of Ingleborough.

Approx. 10am Arrive in Horton-in-Ribblesdale — first water stop. Toilets available in the village.

Approx. 11.30am Summit of Pen-y-Ghent.

Approx. 2.30pm Ribblehead Viaduct, stop for second water top-ups.

Approx. 4.30pm Summit of Whernside.

Approx 6pm – Target time to complete the challenge! We finish the challenge where we started, in Chapel le Dale, next to The Old Hill Inn — excellent food is available here if you fancy it.

Please get in touch with penny@saragasbestossuport.org or ring 01709 360372 to reserve your place to walk with us on either day above.

If you would like to sponsor Nev and Penny doing the walk, please donate to us here: paypal.com/gb/fundraiser/charity/3157989 – or support us through the ways listed on the back page.

If you’d like to join us at the stops on the day, or in the Old Hill Inn afterwards, it would be great to see you there!

Buy our Limited Edition 2025 Calendars

This year to mark the 25th Anniversary of our charity, we have produced a very limited number of 2025 calendars. These are A4 in size and perfect for hanging on your wall.

They’ll make excellent stocking fillers for your family and friends, or to keep track of your own appointments and events.

Each month includes a different feature and at only £10 each (plus £2.50 post and packing if required), don’t miss out on your opportunity to buy one and support us to continue our vital work.

Contact enquiries@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page or call 01709 360372 to reserve your copy while stocks last!

Welcome to Caroline

I’m Caroline and I live in Rotherham with my husband. Together we have 5 children. In my spare time by day I can often be found by an airfield, watching military aircraft and, by night, I’m usually looking up to the sky due to my interest in amateur astronomy.

Prior to joining the team at SARAG I worked at Citizens Advice in Doncaster. I was there for 12 years, working on several different projects, in what were predominantly benefit advice roles. One such role was as an outreach worker on a secure mental health unit where I would attend and support clients with complex mental health needs. Another such role was for Macmillan, providing financial support for people with Cancer. I’ve always enjoyed this kind of work, so I am very grateful to now be working for such a wonderful organisation.

Caroline Holmes.

We are lucky to have you Caroline!

Thank you to our supporters in 2025

We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped us to continue supporting people with asbestos-related conditions. During 2024 we are very fortunate to have received support from many sources including those organisations listed on page 2.

We are also incredibly thankful for the fundraising efforts of individuals too. These are a few of the people who have gone above and beyond to generate donations for us this year:

Nicola Harrison

Nicola Harrison collected almost £900 for SARAG by running the Nottingham Marathon this year. An amazing achievement, well done and thank you Nicola!

Andy Shields

Andy Shields raised almost £3000 by completing the incredibly demanding National Three Peaks with some of his friends, in honour of his Dad, Stephen Sheilds. So grateful for this Andy!

Nevyn Stevenson

Nevyn Stevenson (our very own Head of Service) raised an impressive £870 by completing the Sheffield 10K run in September. Look at that leg muscle definition!!

Patrick Rutherford

Patrick Rutherford pledged to walk 100 miles in November and at the time of writing, his figure raised was well over £800 for our charity. This is Patrick (left) who is a family member of Phil (centre) who has been supported by our charity since 2021. Thank you Patrick!

Michael Wolstencroft

Michael Wolstencroft smashed his £1000 target by running the Chester Marathon for us. That’s amazing Michael, we really appreciate your support!

Jon Whitfield

Jon Whitfield raised £600 in memory of a special friend Darren Eggleston who sadly lost his battle with mesothelioma in 2023. Jon completed a marathon on a hand bike, despite having cerebral palsy himself. Absolutely brilliant Jon, we are very grateful for your support!

We also have a number of anonymous donors, memorial donations and people who kindly send money to us every month by standing order. We can’t thank many of them personally, or name them here, however we are so grateful for their continuing support and every penny we receive is used towards supporting more people diagnosed with asbestos related conditions, and their families.

SARAG Social Groups 2025

Friendly support and social groups for anyone affected by asbestos related disease; family members, friends and carers are also very welcome to attend.

Our groups provide the opportunity to have a good chat and to share experiences and advice with people who understand, in an informal setting. SARAG staff, and other professionals will be in attendance to offer support and to answer any questions you may have. We also have speakers on relevant subjects at some of our meetings. A complimentary lunch and hot drinks will be provided at each of our venues and accessible parking and public transport links are close by.

Our online group is currently running every fortnight, 2-3pm. Full support is available to use Zoom.

If you’d like to join us on any of our groups, please email enquiries@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page or text/call 07783510365.

View our social groups and times

Bereavement & Family Support Service

Welcome to the winter edition of SARAG’s newsletter and the first official submission from our Bereavement and Family Support Service.

I hope you find this section supportive, informative and compassionate. We also welcome and encourage submissions from both our bereaved community and those facing an anticipated bereavement.

This is your space to share and to support each other on this journey.

Winter can be a difficult time for many as the nights have drawn in and daylight is so short. But when we are bereaved or are anticipating a bereavement the long dark nights, and short days can make it harder for us to motivate ourselves to do much and can often negatively impact our grieving minds.

Winter can feel cold and isolating, so too can grief. Greif is a time of shock, numbness, and disbelief, even anger and overwhelm. It is important to allow yourself to feel these emotions without judgment. Just as the earth needs the rest and stillness of winter, and to go into itself, to prepare for new growth, we too need this time to be still, to look inside, and to process our feeling of loss. Winter is a time of reflection. As you look out onto the empty landscapes, remember the memories and love that remains within you. These are the seeds of hope that will carry you through to the next season. And remind yourself that the bare trees of winter eventually give way to the new growth of spring, symbolizing hope and renewal. This cyclical pattern can provide comfort and perspective to those in the throes of grief. Nature can help us feel connected to something much larger than ourselves. This sense of connection can be comforting during times of grief, reminding us that we are part of a vast, interconnected web of life, and we are not alone.

Here’s a little nature exercise for you to try:

Take a mental note each day of how you are feeling both physically and emotionally then wrap up warm and go outside (if only into your garden) and take a slow, light, silent breath in through your nose and then a relaxed, gentle breath out through your nose. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes if you can, all the while looking at something outside that catches your eye or your imagination.

It might be a squirrel on a fence, a bird on a wire or soaring high above, the clouds in the sky or a bare branch of a tree. Whilst gently breathing in and out through your nose, really feel the connection to what you are observing. Afterwards, go back inside and write down any changes that you notice about yourself. Do you feel calmer, is your mind clearer, has your breathing or your heart rate slowed down, did you feel a connection to time and place…Any changes at all? At the end of one week, reflect on this exercise and the experience of doing it. Is it something that you would like to continue to do and incorporate into your everyday routine. Has it felt beneficial?

Nature helps to provide us with a model for grieving, for resilience and for hope. There is a season for everything, and nature shows us that.

Poet’s Corner

Signs – By Becky Hemsley

There’s a robin on my fence today, 
A feather by my feet A heart-shaped leaf
that blows along
Beside me down the street

Your song played on the radio
This morning in the car
And just last night I could’ve sworn
I saw a shooting star

The sun and rain are dancing
Making rainbows in the sky
And on the slightest breeze I watch
A butterfly go by

And people might say these are not
The signs I know they are
That it is just coincidence
Your song played in the car

That it is just the sky
And it is just the birds and breeze
A little windy weather
And the nature of the trees

But there is nothing little
About the way they make me feel
The sense of peace they carry
Is both comforting and real

Because it’s just one song
And just one butterfly and bird
Just one star and just one leaf
In one enormous world

And so the probability
Of noticing it all Is close to nearly nothing;
Almost infinitely small

And that is how I know
That when that leaf floats into view
It isn’t a coincidence,
But a sign of love from you
So keep on shooting stars to me,
Keep playing me your song
Whilst you dance atop the rainbows
And blow heart-shaped leaves along

Yes, keep on sending signs my love
I’ll always look around
For your butterflies on breezes
And your feathers on the ground

© Becky Hemsley

Well-being, breathing exercises

Each quarter, I will aim to bring you an exercise that could help with how grief/bereavement might be negatively affecting your breathing, and thus your overall well-being.

Being bereaved and experiencing grief is a very stressful time. Being stressed can affect our breathing. Our everyday breathing patterns are often overlooked in the management of stress, anxiety, and panic. However, the way we breathe everyday influences how we feel and how much stress we experience. It also dictates how we breathe and how our bodies respond during high-stress situations. This breath-mind connection is not new-age. Woo woo. It has long been accepted by the scientific community that how we breathe affects which branch of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) – the ‘fight or flight’ Sympathetic branch responsible for the stress response, or the Parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’ responsible for relaxation, is activated. Our breath is a fundamental ‘state changer’ and by manipulating our breath and changing how we breathe, we can alter how we feel on both a physiological basis and a psychological basis.

Where possible breathe only through the nose. Good functional, everyday breathing incorporates breathing through the nose during rest, activity and sleep. Breathing through the nose takes practise and consistency. This will initially take conscious practise. Nasal breathing triggers the relaxation response and helps to prevent over breathing which is a major fueller of anxiety and panic. Nasal breathing during wakefulness slows and draws the air into the lower parts of the lungs. This may help to maintain the strength and function of the breathing muscles and reduce the feeling of breathlessness.

When we are feeling stressed:

• Breathing becomes faster • Sighing becomes more frequent • More air is breathed with each breath • Breathing tends to be primarily limited to the upper chest • We tend to breathe through the mouth • There is a sensation of air hunger or suffocation.

When we are feeling relaxed:

• Slow breathing • More regular breathing (less frequent sighing and yawning) • Lighter breathing • Breathing low into the diaphragm • Breathing in and out through the nose • Effortless breathing with no feeling or sensation of air hunger

An Exercise to Help Stop a Panic/Anxiety Attack

When breathing becomes faster, harder, and from the upper chest it feeds into feelings of panic and suffocation. To alleviate this, it is important to breathe slowly through the nose and deeply into the diaphragm. The following exercise can be helpful during a panic or hyperventilation attack as a rescue exercise, and the sooner you can spot the symptoms of panic and utilize this exercise, the better.

Hands Cupping Face

With hands tightly cupped over the mouth and nose, breathe in and out 6-12 times. Similar to using a paper bag, this helps normalise carbon dioxide and improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. It helps calm the mind and re-balance the body and your breathing rhythm, reducing the symptoms and feeling of breathlessness.

*(Adapted from the Buteyko Clinic International client hand for RACING MIND, HIGH STRESS, ANXIETY, PANIC DISORDER AND TRAUMA)

Meals For One

Mac ‘n’ cheese

Preparation time less than 30 mins. Cooking time 10 to 30 mins. Serves 1

A really creamy and lush macaroni cheese on a budget. It’s worth making a homemade cheese sauce here as it’s cheap and can be made in just a few minutes. The sauce is also great as a topping for cooked vegetables or other pasta bakes.

This recipe is part of a Budget meal plan for one. In March 2023 this recipe was costed at an average of 98p when checking prices at five UK supermarkets (excluding the optional crusty bread to serve). This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a low-cost storecupboard.

Ingredients

75g/2.oz dried pasta, preferably penne or macaroni

20g/.oz butter

20g/¾oz plain flour

300ml/10fl oz milk

50g/1.oz cheddar (preferably mature), finely grated

Method

1. Half-fill a large saucepan with water and cover with a lid. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Add the pasta, stir well and return to the boil. Cook without a lid for 10–12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but retains a little ‘bite’, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick
2. Meanwhile, place a medium saucepan (ideally non-stick) over a medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. As soon as the butter has melted, sprinkle over the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon until it is completely mixed with the melted butter.
3. Slowly start adding the milk, just a little at a time and stirring well between each addition. (Adding the milk just 3 tablespoons at a time to begin with will help keep the sauce smooth). When you first add the milk, the flour mixture will seize up and look a little lumpy, but the more you stir, the smoother it will become Continue gradually adding and stirring until all the milk is used up.
4. Stir in roughly two-thirds of the cheese, a generous pinch of salt and 3–4 twists of black pepper (roughly 1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper). Simmer the sauce gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly until it is thickened and glossy.
5. Drain the pasta well in a colander or sieve and return to the pan. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and stir well. Either serve from the pan with the remaining grated cheese on top or transfer to an ovenproof dish and place under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with the bread, if using.

By Justine Pattison (from BBC recipes)

Dates For Your Diary

December

3rd – Wakefield Bereavement Group, St. Swithun’s Community Centre (Arncliffe Road Eastmoor/, Wakefield, WF1 4RR), 12-2pm.

4th & 18th – Bereavement Peer Support Zoom Meeting, 10-11.30am (email deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page for log in details).

10th – SARAG’s Christmas Dinner, Waterfront Restaurant (Doncaster College, The Hub, Chappell Drive, Doncaster. DN1 2RF), 12-3pm.

January

7th – Wakefield Bereavement Group, St. Swithun’s Community Centre (Arncliffe Road Eastmoor/, Wakefield, WF1 4RR), 12-2pm

15th – Bereavement Peer Support Zoom Meeting, 10-11.30am (email deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page for log in details). Subject to change.

16th – Bereavement & Family Support Service Steering Group Zoom Meeting (email deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page for log in details). 10-11am.

28th – Sheffield Bereavement Support Group (Foundation, 57 Burton Street, Sheffield, S6 2HH.) 12-2pm.

February

4th – Wakefield Bereavement Group, St. Swithun’s Community Centre (Arncliffe Road Eastmoor/, Wakefield, WF1 4RR), 12-2pm.

12th & 26th – Bereavement Peer Support Zoom Meeting, 10-11.30am (email deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page for log in details). Subject to change.

25th – Sheffield Bereavement Support Group (Foundation, 57 Burton Street, Sheffield, S6 2HH.) 12-2pm.

March

4th – Wakefield Bereavement Group, St. Swithun’s Community Centre (Arncliffe Road Eastmoor/, Wakefield, WF1 4RR), 12-2pm.

12th & 26th – Bereavement Peer Support Zoom Meeting, 10-11.30am (email deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page for log in details). Subject to change.

25th – Sheffield Bereavement Support Group (Foundation, 57 Burton Street, Sheffield, S6 2HH.) 12-2pm.

*Also, we have a private Facebook page should you wish to join us. You can find us at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/saragbereavementsupport

I hope you have enjoyed our first submission in SARAG’s newsletter.

Please feel free to contact me directly either by emailing me at deb@dreamy-cori.217-154-35-86.plesk.page, or contacting by phone or text messaging on 077141724126 should you wish to contribute anything to the next newsletter in March. It might be that you would like to write your own poem, share a story or have some ideas that you think will help our Bereavement & Family Support Service, or could enhance our content in the newsletter.

Take care during these winter months. You know where I am. Warmest of wishes, Deb.