CHAS - Charity EventBookmark and Share

Thursday, 4 April 2019 - Reported by Marcus
Adam Meldrum and Peter Capaldi at CHAS Capital Sci-Fi Con 2019Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, better known as CHAS have launched a campaign asking people to ‘get your geek on’ for Geeky T-Shirt Weekend.

The event follows the success of Edinburgh’s Capital Sci-Fi Con, the not-for-profit pop culture, comic and movie convention which donates all profits to CHAS.

On Friday 3rd and Saturday, May 4th, CHAS are encouraging the public to show allegiance for their preferred science-fiction and fantasy heroes. Whether you’re into Doctor Who or maybe Star Wars or Star Trek, DC or Marvel, Harry Potter or hairy Hobbits.

All supporters need to do is don their favourite geeky t-shirt on the day and donate £2 to the charity by calling 0141 779 6180 or visiting www.chas.org.uk/donate. Schools, workplaces and community groups who would like a pack to participate can contact support@chas.org.uk.

Support has already come from Scottish actors Peter Capaldi and Billy Boyd, who have pledged to get their geek on for the occasion. Capaldi recently gave a full day of his time to meet well over 500 fans at Capital Sci-Fi Con, raising thousands of pounds for the charity by donating 100% of proceeds raised from his autographs.

Peter Capaldi said
I’ve seen at first-hand what fan communities are capable of when they get together. And the CHAS cause is one I know they will want to unite behind. Get your geeky t-shirt on to help the families this wonderful charity cares for.

Every week, three children in Scotland die from a life-shortening condition. At present, CHAS can only reach one of those three. The reality can be stark for some families and CHAS are focused on helping find light and joy in their hour of need.

The funds and awareness raised by Geeky T-Shirt Day will help them on their mission to reach every single baby, child and young person who needs them.
CHAS is the only charity in Scotland that provides hospice services for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. The national charity offers palliative care and family respite via its two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.

The CHAS at Home service supports families in their own homes across the whole of Scotland and has teams working in communities and hospitals across the country. In addition, the charity supports families and clinical teams with a network of Diana Children’s Nurses




FILTER: - Charities - Peter Capaldi

Comic Art AuctionBookmark and Share

Thursday, 6 December 2018 - Reported by Marcus
A charity in Liverpool is auctioning off 30 pieces of original comic art, including Doctor Who releated items.

2018 marks People First Merseyside's 30th anniversary and to mark the occasion they are auctioning off 30 pieces of original comic art! 100% of all the winning bids will go direct to People First Merseyside to help them continue their work.

The charity is a regional self-advocacy charity which is run by and for adults with learning disabilities. They are all about supporting adults with learning disabilities to speak out, be respected and live active, healthy and happy lives. Their work helps improve confidence and self-esteem, reduce social isolation, improve psychological well-being and gives people more choice and control over their lives.

Paul Dawson, who has put this auction together, hopes there will be something for everybody in the mix.
I have loved comic books for as long as I can remember and I decided to try to use some blank comic book sketch covers from my collection to try and give something back to People First Merseyside. When the first artist said yes I was blown away and that feeling never went away as more and more artists said yes.

I never expected to get as positive a response as we ended up with and I cannot thank the artists who's work I love enough for taking time out of their schedule to help People First Merseyside.
The auctions are on eBay from until Saturday 8th December -




FILTER: - Charities - Fan Productions

Katy Manning and John Leeson at Charity Event in CoventryBookmark and Share

Wednesday, 22 August 2018 - Reported by Marcus
John Leeson and Katy Manning are to appear at a charity event this Thursday in Coventry.

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, PDSA is holding a Doctor Who-themed open day later this week at the Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital. The open day will give local families, animal lovers and budding vets the chance to go behind the scenes of the busy Pet Hospital to see where life-saving pet operations are carried out.

John Leeson, who has been the main voice of the Robot Dog K-9 since his first appearance in Doctor Who in 1977, will be attending along with actress Katy Manning, who played companion Jo Grant alongside the third doctor.

The stars will be joined by a host of baddies and props from the hit sci-fi series, including a TARDIS, Dalek, Cyberman, and K9 himself, who will, of course, be given a free doggy MOT. The free family event is being held at the Pet Hospital on Barkers Butts Lane on Thursday 23 August 11am to 4pm.

Senior Vet at Coventry PDSA, Kurt Vandamme, said
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on inside a pet hospital, all will be revealed! There will be plenty going on for the whole family, with tours of the operating theatre and x-ray suite, a sponsored dog walk, charity car wash, free dog MOTs and plenty of entertaining activities for children.

We’re holding this open day as it will give people the chance to learn more about the charity, which has been saving the lives of pets every single day for 100 years.
The event will raise funds for Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital, which costs around £850,000 annually to run and doesn’t receive any government funding. The special appearances have been arranged by Fantom Events who have donated their services to PDSA free of charge, as well as making a generous donation to Coventry PDSA.

Kurt added
We’d like to thank Fantom Events for their fabulous support for our open day. We’re really looking forward to meeting the Dr Who stars, and giving our in-depth pet hospital tours. We’ll be giving people an insight into how pets get diagnosed, what happens in an operating theatre and how we help poorly pets recover after surgery. There will be hands-on demonstrations and children will even be able to experience life as a PDSA vet!
Coventry PDSA Pet Hospital treats sick and injured pets in need, providing a vital lifeline for local owners who are struggling to afford vet care for their beloved pets. The dedicated team can see as many as 130 pets a day and perform nearly 50,000 treatments a year, ranging from major life-saving surgery and x-rays, to routine vaccinations and treatment of long-term illnesses.

Nationally PDSA runs 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, and treats more than 5,000 pets a day – that’s 13 pets a minute! For more information visit the website.

Please note Katy Manning and John Leeson will be signing promotional cards only with every donation.




FILTER: - Charities - Special Events

A Second Target for TommyBookmark and Share

Friday, 23 March 2018 - Reported by Marcus
A Second Target for Tommy (Credit: Nigel Parkinson / Obverse Books)
The Charity Book A Second Target for Tommy is now available as an ebook (Kindle and Epub) for £9.99

The book, a sequel to A Target for Tommy, published in 2016, has been created by the writing community in aid of writer Tommy Donbavand, who having overcome throat cancer, now has been diagnosed with a tumour in his lung. As a result, he continues to be unable to do the school visits which generated much of the income he needs to support his family.

The book contains, for the first time ever, the script of a crucial scene from an early draft of Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary Special, Day of the Doctor, featuring the Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, and kindly provided by outgoing Who showrunner, Steven Moffat.
Full List Of Writers And Stories

Eye Of Orion? – Jay Eales
The Hangover Of Injustice – Andrew Lawston
The Caterpillar Room – Kate Orman
3am Eternal – Paul Castle
Nipping Out For Some Bits – Ian Potter
The Misadventure Of Mark Thorne – Andy Frankham-Allen
Wherever And Whenever – Cody Schell
From Skaro With Love! – Nick Campbell
Seasons Of War – Horde Of Travesties Prologue: The Man In The Tree – Declan May
Why Though? – Ira Lightman
The Runaway Hi-fi – Paul Magrs
Eyebrows And Fish – Matt Bright
The Xanthous Knight – Blair Bidmead
Repeat Prescription – Eddie Robson
Doctor Who: The Special – Steven Moffat
The Watcher – Nick Wallace
Collateral Damage – Matt Barber
The Envelope Please – Jonathan Dennis
The Thief Of Joy – Jon Arnold
Doctor Who And The Exile From Hell – Simon Bucher-Jones
When Iris Met Billy – Stuart Douglas
The Same Old Road – Ian Potter
Walk A Mile In My Shoes – Jay Eales
Fair – Ned Netherwood
Order from Obverse Books




FILTER: - Books - Charities

Bedford Charity Con 4Bookmark and Share

Saturday, 3 March 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Bedford Charity Con 4Bedford Who Charity Con 4 is offering readers of Doctor Who News a 10% Discount off tickets to the charity event.

The Convention takes place on Saturday 7th April with a mixture of panel interviews, signings, photo sessions.

Once costs are paid, everything made at the convention goes to Bedford Foodbank, who provide emergency food for 600 local children and adults every month.

Bedford Who Charity Cons are a fairly recent addition to the convention scene, but they've established themselves a niche for being friendly, informal and relaxed events. With around 200 people in the audience, their relatively small scale gives them an intimate atmosphere.

Guests this year are Colin Baker, Sophie Aldred, John Leeson, Angela Douglas (Doris Lethbridge-Stewart), Elen Thomas (who played a large number of the aliens in Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant stories) and Mike Tucker, the BAFTA award-winning special effects designer.

The normal ticket prices are £42.50 for adults, £22.50 for 14-18-year-olds, and £15 for under 14s. Readers of Doctor Who News can, though, receive 10% off their tickets.

To take advantage of this offer, please email Simon Danes on info@bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk , saying that you read about the event on Doctor Who News

For more details about the day, please go to the official Website or the Facebook page.




FILTER: - Charities - Conventions

#Who Against GunsBookmark and Share

Friday, 2 March 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Who Against GunsA group of Doctor Who fans have got together to raise money for organizations committed to ending gun violence, using the hashtag #WhoAgainstGuns

The campaign follows the murder of 17 high school students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. the latest in a number of mass shooting incidents in the United States.

To raise money representatives of over 40 Doctor Who podcasters, writers and fans will be taking part in a special podcast commentary of the 1969 Patrick Troughton story The War Games.

Supporters of the project, which has already raised neary $4,000, include writers Paul Cornell (Human Nature, Father’s Day), Jamie Mathieson (Oxygen, Flatline) Andrew Smith (Full Circle) and Peter Harness (The Zygon Invasion, Kill The Moon). They will be joining comic artists Rachael Stott (Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor) and Simon Fraser (Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor) along with representatives of the popular Doctor Who podcasts Radio Free Skaro, Verity!, Reality Bomb, Coal Hill AV Club, Mutter’s Spiral, Gallifrey Public Radio, TARBIS, Web of Queer, Who and Company, bloggers and fans.

Former showrunner Steven Moffat has also offered his support, and will record an additional commentary if the amount raised exceeds $7,000 by 12th March.

The podcast will be released to listeners who provide a donation of at least $10 to an organization committed to ending gun violence.

Recomended organisations include Once you’ve made your donation, send a copy of your receipt to gallifreystands@realitybombpodcast.com and you’ll get information on how to download your special commentary podcast later in March.




FILTER: - Charities - Fan Productions

Alister Pearson Prints for Sale for CharityBookmark and Share

Friday, 26 January 2018 - Reported by Marcus
Fantom Events are selling a limited number of Alister Pearson art prints in aid of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom.

Each card is available for £5 per A4 print, plus an additional £1 per order towards postage (varying rates for overseas).

Alister Pearson has allowed Fantom to sell these prints which are normally exclusive to Fantom event ticket holders. This one-off opportunity will last until the end of the month, or whilst stock lasts.

Cards Include:
  • Delta And The Bannermen 
  • The Tomb Of The Cybermen 
  • The Enemy Of The World 
  • Revenge Of The Cybermen 
  • The Pirate Planet 
  • The War Machines 
  • The Five Doctors 
  • Remembrance Of The Daleks 
  • Mindwarp 
  • Planet Of The Daleks 
  • Talons Of Weng-chiang 
  • The Key To Time 
  • Survival 
  • Pyramids Of Mars
If you are interested please contact Fantom via their website




FILTER: - Charities - Merchandise

Children in Need 2017Bookmark and Share

Friday, 10 November 2017 - Reported by Chuck Foster
This year's annual fundraising evening Children in Need will take place from 7:30pm on Friday 17th November, and as in previous years will include a preview of the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. The preview is currently scheduled to be shown during the first half hour.

Children in Need 2017 - Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie and David Bradley (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgway)
Children in Need 2017 - Peter Capaldi (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgway) Children in Need 2017 - Peter Capaldi (Credit: BBC/Simon Ridgway)
Children in Need 2017 - Pearl Mackie (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston) Children in Need 2017 - Pearl Mackie (Credit: BBC/Ray Burmiston)


Donate here!





FILTER: - BBC - Charities - Children in Need - Pearl Mackie - Peter Capaldi

Breakfast with Seven DoctorsBookmark and Share

Thursday, 23 March 2017 - Reported by Marcus
Comic Relief is offering the first opportunity ever created to enjoy a Full English Breakfast in the company of Seven Doctors.

The Wolseley on Piccadilly will be hosting this landmark meal where, for the first time in the show's 54 year history, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi will meet to break bread and talk Tardis.

Here, inside its hallowed hall, the meal of meals will take place. An epic event, a world first, and a legendary opportunity to witness history in the making. To win the chance to join them on this remarkable morning, you need to enter the prize draw. Five pounds enters your name into the pot for a chance to join the seven Doctors for what is being described as the most historic breakfast in the history of television.

The meet and greet will take place between September 2017 and May 2018. Comic Relief will give you as much noticed as possible once the date is confirmed.

This prize has been kindly donated by the actors and The Wolseley.

To enter follow the link




FILTER: - Charities - Colin Baker - David Tennant - Matt Smith - Paul McGann - Peter Capaldi - Peter Davison - Sylvester McCoy

Bedford Who Charity ConBookmark and Share

Friday, 3 March 2017 - Reported by Marcus
The third Bedford Who Charity Con takes place on Saturday 8th April – and readers of Doctor Who News can get 10% off their tickets.

Bedford Who Charity Con is supporting Bedford Foodbank; every month, they provide emergency food to some 500 local adults and children in crisis. Doctor Who fans in the area have managed to raise £8000 in the last twelve months. The Foodbank will receive everything made at the convention, once costs have been covered.

Bedford Who Charity Cons have established a strong reputation as fun, relaxed, friendly and informal events, with audiences and guests equally effusive in their praise. This year, Maureen O’Brien will be making a rare convention appearance alongside Peter Purves, Geoffrey Beevers, Neve McIntosh, Anneke Wills and Mike Tucker.

Tickets for Bedford Who Charity Con 3 cost £42.50 for adults, £22.50 for 14-18 year olds and full time students, and £15 for under-14s. Family tickets are also available.

To secure your 10% discount, you need to email Simon Danes on info@bedfordwhocharitycon.co.uk and mention that you saw the event advertised on Doctor Who News. Tickets are also available direct from the venue, The Quarry Theatre in Bedford, but you need to contact Simon to activate the discount.

Further convention details are on the website and Facebook page




FILTER: - Charities - Conventions