On April the 29th the Royal Wedding will be taking place, and Fontwell Park Racecourse will be holding a special fundraising day on behalf of The Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund. A record crowd is expected at Fontwell who will be carrying out a bucket collection, raffle, auction, and silent auction for this evening racing event, with all proceeds going to the charity. The race day will also mark the 20th birthday of SES Autoparts and the 40th wedding anniversary of Lisa’s mum and dad Clive and Tricia Wilson. The feature race of the day will be the Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund handicap. Some of the auction prizes have been donated by by some famous names from entertainment and sport, including Celine Dion, Jenson Button, Mick Channon, Channel 4 TV. Several holidays in Florida, Switzerland and Cyprus have also been donated by friends. Also a signed set of silks has been donated by Godolphin who recently bought Clive’s horse Rileyskeepingfaith who won £100,000 recently in Dubai and runs in the World Cup on Saturday 26th of April. MC for the day will be Derek Thompson from Channel 4 TV. It should be a fabulous day out for anyone who wants to go along,for more information visit www.fontwellpark.co.uk
Following Lisa’s Footsteps – in the press
The story of Clive and Trish following Lisa’s footsteps around New Zealand has been sold to ‘Pick Me up’ magazine. A two page spread will be printed in the November 4th issue, with the proceeds of the sale of the story going to benefit the charity.
Unfortunately we are not particularly happy with the article, especially as the story has been written as if from Trish’s point of view. There are also several mistakes and omissions.
‘Pick Me Up’ magazine is on sale now, or you can read it as a PDF here.
Or, for a more accurate story of their travels, please read Clive’s journal of the trip on the mini-blog here: Following Lisa’s Footsteps.
Charity hits £200,000!!
On Wednesday 20th October, Clive & Scott Wilson were sat in the boardroom of one of their suppliers, and during lunch they were asked to show the video of the bungee jump Clive carried out in New Zealand.
Having watched the jump, the Managing Director of the company asked how much money had been raised by the bungee jump.
“£2,500,” Clive answered.
“Then I’ll double that,” stated the anonymous donor.
As well as bringing the bungee jump total to in excess of £5,000, the huge significance of this donation is that it means that the charity has now raised over £200,000 in Lisa’s memory.
In three weeks time it will be the eighth anniversary of Lisa’s tragic accident.
When we started the charity we could never have dreamt that we could have raised this amazing amount of money in Lisa’s memory. This now means that Lisa’s legacy is 200 years of education; £1,000 a year is granted as a bursary to each of the selected students.
Although she is not here today, we know she would be incredibly proud of her amazing legacy and the fact that some eight years after her death she is still managing to effect the lives of so many young people—some 44 students to date.
Also, it is quite fitting that the new colt that was born to our horse ‘Lisa the Daddy’ shall carry the name ‘Lisa’s Legacy’ when he starts to race.
My family and I would like to thank everyone for their amazing support, not just financially but emotionally over the last eight years. We are so pleased that something so positive can come out of such a terrible tragedy.
Thank you all.
2010 Lisa Wilson Scholarship Awards
L-R: Kerry Ann Tosh, Bonita Lundqvist-Paddick, Clive Wilson, Professor
Jane Longmore, Patricia Wilson, Jake Dudas, James Whittingstall-Bean
Four new students were recently awarded with bursaries from the Lisa Wilson Scholarship Fund. The four new students, Jake Dudas, James Whittingstall-Bean, Kerry Ann Tosh, and Bonita Lundqvist-Paddick, were officially presented with their bursaries by Clive and Patricia Wilson after a video tribute to show the recipients of the fund what Lisa was like as a person and how the money is raised by Clive and Tricia, to help them to understand the importance of the scholarship.
The award takes the form a bursary of up to a maximum of £1,000 per year which is renewed annually. It is available to students who have overcome adversity or can demonstrate why they need extra financial help with their studies.
A previous recipient of the scholarship, Ali Lalani received the ‘Lisa Wilson Prize’ for outstanding academic achievement. Ali said: “It has been an enormous honour and privilege to be a Lisa Wilson Scholarship student over the last five years. I would like to thank Clive and Tricia for all their support, encouragement and generosity during my studies. To me, there are only two people in this room who truly define what it means to be outstanding, and they are Clive and Tricia. I would also like to thank my family for being here today to share this moment with me. Thank you for your unconditional love and support throughout my life, I’m everything I am today because of you. My success is your success.”
Ali graduates this year with a 2:1 in Leisure Management.
Ali Lalani (centre) with his mother and sister Abida, Professor Jane Longmore, Clive and Patricia Wilson
Geeta Uppal, Community and Adult Learning Co-ordinator praised each applicant’s commitment and motivation to study at higher education despite the barriers they faced.
Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Jane Longmore gave her heartfelt thanks to the Wilson family for their ever continuing support:
“I doubt that anyone here has not been thoroughly moved during the presentation. It is so apparent that there is so much love in the room and it is with truly heartfelt thanks that the University expresses enormous gratitude to Tricia and Clive Wilson. Their commitment to tribute Lisa with these scholarships is such an inspirational way of continuing Lisa’s memory.”
“Clive’s and Trisha’s fund-raising has provided support for 44 Solent students over the past eight years. No-one could have worked harder to honour Lisa’s memory by supporting these students in facing their own personal challenges.”
Clive and Trish Wilson with Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Jane Longmore
Clive and Trish Wilson with Gus McKechnie, a long-term supporter of the Lisa Wilson scholarship Fund
Golf Day brings in over £5000 for Lisa’s charity
Saturday August 21st marked the 8th Annual Lisa Wilson Golf Day at Wellow Golf Club where Lisa worked and played golf. Around 120 members and 40 guests played in separate competitions.
In the evening Geeta Uppal from Southampton Solent University spoke about the charity and the 43 students who had benefited from the bursaries they received. Ali Lalani, one of the students who this year graduates with a BA 2-1 in Leisure Management, gave a moving speech about the difference the bursary had made to him. Ali represents Great Britain in Boccia (a sport similar to Bowls) and dedicated his World Championship medal to Lisa’s memory. He is now focussed on the 2012 paralympics.
Clive Wilson gave a review of the charity year with a dvd of him carrying out the Nevis High Wire Bungy Jump in New Zealand this year on Lisa’s birthday, March 15th, when he raised £2500 for the charity.
After the prize giving, Martin Murphy kicked off the entertainment and was followed on stage by 70’s hit band “The Real Thing’ who did an hour set including their number one hit ‘You to me are everything’. With some 200 members and guests the clubhouse was really rocking to another highly successful golf day in Lisa’s memory.
Clive and Trish with members of The Real Thing