We Have A Lodge.......Hurrah

Well the news is finally here.....   We have had our offer accepted on a property in St Andrews.   So the TCCL Lodge now takes a step closer to reality.

The property will become ours on the 15th January 2015.

Now we actively fundraising for the renovatioins needed to the property, mainly enabling disabled access and converting downstairs bathroom into a wetroom.

In addition we launched a brand new website on 01 Nov, created and hosted by MTC Media in Dundee, through which you can pledge an item for one of the rooms in the lodge, or make a single or recurring online donation to the Lodge.   Details of how to donate by text are also given.

Tickets for major fundraising events will also be available through the website.  

Head over to www.tccl-lodge.org.uk to see the site for yourself.

We need to raise the final £150,000 of the £500,000 project which will enable us to undertake the renovations and run the Lodge for the first 3 years.   Any support for this would be greatly appreciated.

Still Looking......

We have been busy looking at a few houses which are on the market in the St Andrews area.    We hope to have some more positive news to share by the end of October with regards to our search for a TCCL Lodge facility.

Till then, just watch this space........

Bid Unsucessful

We put a bid in for the cottage on Thurs last week, which was above asking price but were unsuccessful when the closing date passed.  We don't know what it sold for so we don't know how short we were of the price that it actually went for.

Not finished yet though, some other properties have appeared on the market in St Andrews that we are going to look at.   I'm sure that we will be sucessful some time in the future with a bid on a property that would suit our needs.

Watch this space..........

Search Continues

OK, it's been a while, so a brief update on what we have been up to at TCCL Lodge.

A few weeks ago we went to look at a property for sale in St Andrews, which whilst needing some renovation would have been ideal for our purposes.  Whilst the asking price was beyond our reach we did submit a bid (which was below the asking price) but affordable to us.   However this was not successful as an offer of the asking price was made and accepted by the sellers on the closing date.

It was however a useful exercise and showed us what can be achieved in the St Andrews property market.

We are currently (11 Sep) looking at a 2nd Property within St Andrews which will require some extension / renovation to meet our needs, but it is at an affordable price for us.  If we can meet the deadline for submission of a bid by the closing date, we would look I think to make an offer on this property.

If we were to be successful, then we would have a tangible reality to use for future fundraising, rather than just an aspiration as at present.

Will update the blog at the weekend with any news.........

Steading Photos

Photos Of The Steading

Popped back to Cambo last weekend to get some photos of the steading (should have taken camera on the first visit - lesson learned!)

So here they are:-

 

We are looking towards getting architects to do an outline plan to prove that all our expectations can be met at this location.   In addition we are seeking advice regarding the legalities of long term leasing for the charity.

We will be able to make some form of informed judgement, once we have the results of these activities.   Will post again when we have more to share.

In the meantime, enjoy the photos.

Visit to prospective site

On Mon 14th April we paid a visit to Cambo estate near Kingsbarns, to look at a old farm steading, part of which may be suitable for renovation and turning into a TCCL Lodge facility.

It is a traditional stone built steading and has List B status, which will mean that more rigorous standards will be applied to any renovation work required, but as a bonus there is no VAT to be paid on such work. 

We were warmly welcomed by Mrs Erskine and her son Struan, who outlined what plans were being developed around the site that would complement the siting of the lodge, allowing a range of activities to be undertaken within the estate boundary.  Then it was off for a closer look at the premises that are currently there (highlighted yellow in OS Map below).

Situated only 6 miles from St Andrews off the main A917 road, and within walking distance of Kingsbarns village there are plenty of options for other leisure activities.

An arial shot of the location gives a better view of the site.     The corner shown in yellow is the area of interest.

We are now engaging with a local architect firm to see if the features that we want can be fitted into the available space, and if this proves positive (as we hope it will), then we will return to the site for further discussions to move the process forward.

There is still much to do before we start the real work, as planning consent will be required first.

As we get more information we will update this blog.

Possible Lodge Site

We are off in mid April to look at a potential site for the TCCL Lodge close to St Andrews.  We won't know until we see it if it has the potential that we seek, but from what we do know about it so far, it sounds promising.

Look for an update on the blog during the week 14 - 18 April.

TCCL Lodge - Background to the Charity

TCCL Lodge was started as a special project by local tayside charity, Tayside Children with Cancer and Leukaemia (TCCL) Reg Charity No SC023997.

Since its formation, the TCCL Committee has been tireless in organising fundraising enterprises to finance family support. This is acknowledged by the children, parents and ward staff as being very beneficial at a time when children and families affected by a diagnosis of cancer are devastated and in need of financial and psychosocial support.

TCCL however now has a larger vision– to build a holiday house where children and families can relax together during the arduous years of treatment and recovery. TCCL Lodge Charity (SC 043006) was therefore formed

THE VISION OF TCCL LODGE…
……a holiday house where children with cancer and their families can spend quality time together in a special place with the right amenities.
Childhood cancer is a devastating diagnosis for every child and family. Treatments are now very successful, but extremely arduous, long and time consuming.   Children and families need to carry on with the normal routine of life with jobs, school and friends.

When a child is diagnosed with one of the cancers including leukaemia it becomes immediately apparent that he or she is not the only one that is affected by the disease.  The parents are seriously affected and can struggle physically, practically, emotionally, and financially with the intensive, intrusive treatment regime and the inevitable disruption it brings to family life. It is not ONLY the parents who are caught up in this crisis. As a grandparent inevitably you are anxious for your grandchild and also for your adult child, the parent. This circle of concern can spill out to aunts and uncles and other extended family and friends. Hospital attendances are frequent including outpatient visits and inpatient says for many days or weeks.

More than this although some visits are scheduled many more are  unscheduled emergency admissions as a result of infections or other consequences of the treatment. In most cases one or both parents are working so their financial life is affected and this can lead to money problems if they have to be absent from work frequently. Then there is the additional cost of petrol to and from the hospital, sometimes from considerable distances.

ABOUT TCCL LODGE

Where will it be?.....
We have decided to try and locate the TCCL Lodge in the St Andrews area. This is based on the three requisites of:-
•  It should be within 1 to 1.5 hours of Tayside Children’s Hospital at Ninewells, if an emergency arise requiring rapid transfer of the child with cancer to hospital.
• It should be in a place which is a holiday resort with the appropriate amenities
• Parent choice –having surveyed TCCL’s present parents they chose St Andrews over other potential choices.

Who will be eligible to use the TCCL Lodge?.....
•  The house will be offered to any Child or Young Person with cancer and their families who live in Tayside or North East Fife.
• This will be on a first come first served basis.
• The house will be available 50 weeks of the year
• Any vacant weeks will be available to Children or Young People with cancer and their families in the East of Scotland , then throughout the whole of Scotland.
• Access will be via their local Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nurses.

What facilities will it contain?......
 Our wish list for the lodge is as follows::
The house will be custom built or refurbished to provide high quality accommodation comprising:-
• Open plan sitting area and dining room with easy but safe access to kitchen and utility room.
• Conservatory opening onto a covered deck to make the most of outside despite our weather.
• A snug/TV room for those who want to get away from it all
• A room for the child/young person with cancer with an ensuite bathroom. This will have disabled access equipment to meet all possible needs. It will open onto the outside decking.
• A room next door for parents
• 2 further bedrooms and bathrooms to allow flexible usage for siblings and extended family such as grandparents.
• Garden with age appropriate equipment.
• Secluded but within easy reach of leisure facilities on offer.

The house will be provided FREE.
The house will have up to date equipment to enable a pleasant stress free holiday.
The house will be professionally cleaned between occupants
Linen, towels, some toiletries and a welcome food pack will be provided.

When will it be available?......
It is hoped to begin building in late 2015 with completion and the first families being able to use it in the latter half of 2016 latest.

FUNDING FOR THE TCCL LODGE

The carefully costed budget for The Project is £500,000 which will cover
•  the purchase of the land, the construction of the building, equipping the Lodge and laying out the garden,
•  or the purchase of a property and its complete refurbishment.
•  It is also intended to provide for the operating costs, maintenance and repairs for the first three years.

Thanks to donations already received the sum of £275,000 has been committed to the project.

The TCCL Lodge will provide many people, coping with the challenges caused by Cancer and Leukaemia, with a place of respite, comfort and pleasure.

Via this blog we hope to keep you updated on the progress of the Lodge from now till completion.