We have finally revamped our logo with huge thanks to Angie Phillips who is a contact our founder made through the Professional Speakers Association (PSA). 


Swimming After Surgery (SAS) really struggled this year financially as fundraising ideas did not obtain the funds that had been envisaged.   The ladies did magnificently attempting Lands End to John O'Groats in the swimming sessions from May to November despite all of them recovering from cancer surgery/treatment.  The target was 93,000 lengths and the total completed was 50,750 Lengths.

We need not have worried as SAS put out an SOS to Rotary and various Rotary Clubs in Shropshire have come to our aid.  These include Newport Shropshire, Ironbridge and Wrekin Rotary Clubs so far. 

On top of the above our founder/secretary has been busy creating hand crafts and managed to raise £74 at a Christmas Fair held at Rose Manor in Ketley.   Not only did we have knitted pink poppies, we also have creators of pink and yellow butterflies crocheted.  These were not fully completed on the day of the Christmas Fair so Fiona was finishing them off to order.  The crocheted shawls sold well too.

What else have we been up to?  Swimming After Surgery (SAS) was invited to the High Sheriff of Shropshire's celebration of volunteering at RAF Cosford.  It was a great event enabling us to network with other organisations.  Pictured is Stephen Smith our founder's husband without Steve's help and support driving Fiona to and from events and of course the swimming sessions none of this would be possible.

Also Swimming After Surgery (SAS) was nominated for the Energize CSP awards and were lucky enough to be shortlisted to attend the event at the International Centre in Telford.  Yes that is Eddie the Eagle Edwards.

 

As the festive season draws closer and the New Year we are being reflective and thankful that we can still continue to help put a smile back on ladies faces who are going through a very tough time. 

 

 

THANK YOU for your continued support.

 

 

A Surprising Year

This year has been a hard one.  Our founder was poorly at the beginning of the year.  On the 7th May we recommenced the Swimming After Surgery (SAS) sessions at Short Wood Primary School Pool in Wellington.  Within a few weeks we found out our founder had had a minor stroke.

Despite everything we only cancelled one swimming session while we regrouped and decided how to keep Swimming After Surgery (SAS) running.  Within seven weeks of having her first minor stroke she was out networking and fundraising at the Telford Lions Day on Wheels in Wellington.

There was no stopping her now.  All the items for sale including the scarves had been hand knitted by our founder.  She had come up with the idea of the vibrant pink poppies in June and had kept herself occupied while recovering by knitting them.

Next  stop a Rotary event at Grove Farm in Shawbury.

So what happened next?  Our founder was successfully nominated and received an Aquaforce 2014 Award for "Outstanding Voluntary Contribution to Swimming in the Community".

So we are now looking forward to next year and hope that with the efforts our founder has made and the innovative ideas she has come up with that Swimming After Surgery (SAS) will continue in Telford next year and for many more years to come.

The reasons behind the Pink Poppies

The vibrant pink is to remind us to live life to the full.

The yellow is a way to remember those we have lost and still shine their light with us like a burning candle flame.

Swimming After Surgery (SAS) Pink Poppy

Following the Energize Awards in November 2013 when our founder knitted poppies for us for the event, the committee discussed having a poppy for Swimming After Surgery (SAS).  We all knew what colour we wanted the outer to be but we didn't want black as the middle.  

Our Founder was browsing facebook and saw a picture of a candle burning on Stephen's Story facebook page and this gave her the idea of what colour the middle should be.

As you can see in a short time we have a few, some of them already have gone to new homes and others are now being created.  

We hope these poppies will help us raise the much needed funds to keep Swimming After Surgery (SAS) running for many more years to come.

Energize Awards 2013

Well the last twelve months have flown by and what a year it has been.

Snow delaying the restart of Swimming After Surgery (SAS) at Short Wood Primary School Pool in Wellington.

New members attending the sessions and making us realise how valuable what we do is for their confidence.  Now many are volunteering in the community which is an added bonus.

Last night was an eye opener.  We had been nominated for Community Project of the year at the Energize Awards.  Last year not one of the ladies wanted their photograph taken in public. This year was totally different, the ladies agreed to go up on stage in a group to receive our finalist certificate.  We didn't win but the fact we get recognition for all the hard work and support we offer meant a lot.

After the wonderful dinner the nominees and winners of the awards were announced.  When it came to our category our founder couldn't look at anyone she was shaking like a leaf.  The emotion was just a bit too much for her.

Then we all went up on stage to collect our certificate from Tessa Sanderson.  This was a massive moment for all of us.

When Fiona explained this was our first public photograph taken since surgery Tessa said she would catch up with us later and certainly kept to her word.

Fiona not only helps organise and run Swimming After Surgery (SAS) she is very keen on sport herself and for a couple of years she trained at Rowley Park, Stafford where she learnt to throw javelin from her wheelchair.  This gave Tessa and Fiona something to talk about.  For fun Tessa had also brought along her Olympic Torch from the relay held last year for the London 2012 Olympics.

Just as we were collecting ourselves together to leave James Bond (yes that is his real name) from Radio Shropshire was talking to us about the project.  He wondered if he could do an interview at the swimming pool.  Fiona explained that due to the nature of the project this would not be possible.  James soon understood why and asked if we would do an immediate interview for Radio Shropshire whilst at the venue of Shrewsbury Football Club.  We all agreed much to Fiona's surprise and delight.

The interview was very relaxed and friendly and everyone forgot there was a microphone being used.

This shows just how far the ladies who have needed the help and support of Swimming After Surgery (SAS) have come along a very hard and difficult journey following breast cancer surgery.

If any lady who has had or is going through cancer surgery and needs support please do not hesitate to pick up the telephone and ask for help we have been their ourselves and are more than happy to support and help in anyway we can.

8 Inspirational Body Confidence Quotes

8 Inspirational Body Confidence Quotes

Post By: Kelly Ward

1. “Girls of all kinds can be beautiful – from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain-skinned; the quirky, clumsy, shy, outgoing and all in between. It's not easy though because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box...Think outside of the box...Pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you”  - Tyra Banks

2. “I have a crumble baby belly, boobs are worse for wear after two kids...I'm doing all right. I'm 33. I don't look in the mirror and go, "Oh, I look fantastic!". Of course I don't. Nobody is perfect. I just don't believe in perfection. But I do believe in saying, "This is who I am and look at me not being perfect!". I'm proud of that.” Kate Winslet

3. “Step Away from the Mean Girls…
…and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks.
Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others. 

This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.” – Oprah Winfrey

4. “You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.”  - Amy Bloom

5. “Even the models we see in magazines wish they could look like their own images.” – Cheri K. Erdman

6.“I try not to be neurotic; I try to create and present healthy body image” – Kimora Lee Simmons 

7. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are “– Marilyn Monroe

8. “It’s not what you are that holds you back. It’s what you think you’re not” – Denis Waitely

Do you have a favorite confidence quote? We would love to hear it in the comments below. Please do comment below or please drop by and say hello on our Facebook page or join me on Twitter.

What would you like to see a blog post on? What subjects would you like to hear about?

5 Top Tips To Boost Body Confidence

5 Top Tips To Boost Body Confidence

Guest Post By: Kelly Ward

Hey there SAS folk!

Last week we did a little homework on how we felt about our body confidence and image. Tough right?

This week we are going to give you 5 top tips to help you stay positive and motivated on your journey to self love and appreciation.

1. Spend less time in front of the mirror, especially when you are not love what you see in there at the moment. Concentrate on the inner you and how you feel you look. Read your top 10 things about me list, remind yourself how awesome you are and all the good things you do. Who cares if your hair isn't red-carpet-photo-shoot ready? Seriously, feel yourself to be good looking and confident and project that outwards through your eyes, your smile and your posture; no one will notice what you look like, only how you made them feel

2. Get a hobby. Do you do what you love? Do you have down-time for yourself to enjoy to do something you love to do? Why not?

I don’t want to hear excuses that you work, have kids, run the PTA, are too tired etc. etc. there is no excuse. To allow yourself time for yourself, you are telling yourself that you love and respect yourself. To do an activity that you love to do, be it alone or in a group setting, will give you a boost of all the lovely happiness hormones, making you feel positive and good. Please folks, just an hour a week at least that is just for you. Pinky promise me.. 1 hour.

3. Think about this: your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months. Pretty awesome right? Your body is changing all the time. It is renewing all the time, whilst you are stuck in the same rut of disliking yourself and picking fault with yourself.  It doesn't make sense logically; The skin you hate today, you didn't even have a month ago...

4. Look around. Notice that every single person you see has a different body shape, are a different height and weight, have different skin tones and hair types. You are unique and beautiful. Know that and appreciate it; you are one in seven billion honey...

5. Stop the negative self talk. Stop with the “oh I’m so fat/skinny”, “this top doesn't hang right”, “I’m ugly and scarred”. I mean it; stop it immediately because, you know what, you are listening! Would you talk about your friend or someone you love like that? No you wouldn't, so why are you hating on yourself and bullying yourself... stop it! Every time you think something about yourself, ask yourself would you think like that about your friend or sister? Instead of “I’m ugly” I want to hear “I love how my hair looks today”, find the positive – be nice to you. Be your own friend, not your enemy. 

Please, post below if you have any thoughts or comments on this or any of our other blog posts we would love to hear them

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NEXT WEEK: 10 Inspirational Body Quotes