I have been touched by the Hand of Gok. Quite literally. And if just a smidgen of Britain’s favourite style guru’s success rubs off on me, I’ll be quids-in.

I caught up with Gok following the launch of his latest collection for Tu at Sainsbury’s, which is surprisingly good. I say surprisingly, not because I’d ever doubt Gok’s golden touch or because I’m a supermarket snob, hellz no! I say it because the range is pretty darn impressive.”

Read more

I’ve written this a few days before you are reading it now and it is beaming sunshine and beautiful outside so I hope that it has stayed and you are all enjoying Spring with me!

As ever I want to introduce you to the very important charity that I am supporting this month; Life Education Wessex (LEW). As you know I am very passionate about life education, as I found it wasn’t the academic side which most troubled me as I grew up, but it was the life decisions, often hard ones, which I had to make and which helped to shape the person I am today. LEW creates an incredible platform for children to learn important life lessons about growing up to be a healthy youngster – for some people this can be easy, but for many it is crucial that they know what choices are available and how lifestyle and healthy living decisions can affect them for the rest of their lives. Please read on to find out more about what they are up to and how you can help.

Hugs and kisses, Gok

xxx

Life Education Wessex teaches children to make informed and healthy choices, as they grow up, about alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and food as well as the importance of sleep, exercise and feelings. They also help pupils to acquire life skills and learn to be assertive to help them cope with bullying and peer group pressure. Their specially trained Educators provide lessons adapted for the age of the children from age 3 to 13 years. Visiting 60,000 children every year it works across the Wessex region covering Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset. Life Education Wessex visits schools once a year and provides education that grows with the children, building upon the previous year’s knowledge. It’s amazing how much the children learn and retain.

Why does it do it?

It’s clear that prevention is better than cure when it comes to the issues of obesity, alcohol misuse, smoking and drug use. By teaching children how to be healthy and make the best choices they have a better chance of making the right choices as they grow up.

In the words of Professor Robert Winston: “Education for children at an early age is vital, to help them adopt the right healthy habits, so that their health later on is going to be as good as possible. That’s why I think the work of Life Education is so important.”

Recent research with school children who’ve experienced life education demonstrates the programme’s exceptional success rate: 87% of children knew more about keeping healthy. 83% recognised how their emotions and needs change in different situations, 91% understood how others influence the choices they make about smoking, alcohol and other drugs and 76% reported they had learned to be more assertive.

With over 60% of adults and 30% of children in the UK considered to be overweight or obese and the rise in illnesses and diseases caused by poor diets, alcohol, and less active life styles there is a real need for change. Whilst statistics show that drug use is falling gradually, the NHS information Centre 2011 shows that a staggering 47% of 17 to 18 year olds have used illegal drugs. The damage that drug use and addiction can have is lasting and full rehabilitation is really difficult to achieve, therefore education is key to our children’s future health and well-being.

How much does it cost?

Annually the charity needs to raise £240,000 to deliver the education service across the region. The charity does not receive any government funding for this education and so it relies completely on the support of the community and it’s fundraising to raise this sum and provide the 50% of the cost of delivery, while participating schools provide part of the funding.

In a day a Life Education Educator can reach four classes of children, so in the region of 120 children. Each school generally books visits once a year and so each child receives the education as they grow up, reinforcing the be active, be happy, and be healthy message.

Join Harold’s Challenge to be active, healthy and happy.

Do your bit to help raise vital funds to educate the next generation about making the right health choices when it comes to enjoying a happy and healthy future. Together we can make a real difference.

Harold is the iconic Giraffe puppet used in classrooms to engage with young children about health and food, and the effects of drinking, smoking and taking drugs. Harold has set the challenge to us all to complete one or more challenges to help the charity reach its target of 1,000 individual challenges or to raise £50,000 in the coming 12 months. The charity needs to raise £240,000 annually to provide this vital education.

You can do anything to take part in Harold’s challenge, so long as it’s active and healthy. So whether you like to run, swim, jump, walk, ride a bike, play golf, or just want to invite your friends round for a healthy charity dinner, there’s a way you can easily raise money for Life Education Wessex.

To register your interest in taking up a challenge or just to find out more about Life Education Wessex click here

If your child’s school doesn’t provide Life Education and you would like it to, email enquiries@lifeeducationwessex.co.uk for more details or telephone 01258 837417.

(Life Education Wessex is a recognised delivery partner of Coram Life Education, the UK’s leading provider of health and drug education programmes).

About the programme:
Alongside Kids Company key workers, Gok has a week to teach the trainees self-discipline and skills for the workplace while creating a range of T-shirts as a pilot social enterprise.

Trainees like these struggle to get work as their behaviour could see them being kicked off normal training.

Getting them to even show up on the first day is tough and Gok isn’t prepared for some explosive clashes that follow, as their project hangs in the balance.

With the Big Lottery Fund secretly monitoring their progress, Gok is praying the team can pull together and help prove, unknowingly, that their enterprise is worth £2m of Lottery funding.

Find out more about Secret Millions and Kids Company.

http://www.kidsco.org.uk/

Hey guys

Summer has at last come to say hello! And not a moment too soon! My new collection gets full inspirational from the incredible 1960s and I can’t think of a better era to bring some summer love and happiness to us all!

Take a look at the full collection on Sainsbury’s website. Hope you love the collection as much as I do!

Xxx

It was filmed on Weds night and was huge fun! It’s a rude one, I warn you all!

Gok x

I really don’t think Marie Curie need much of an introduction, they have been around for quite sometime now, and thank God they are! For 1000′s of people up and down the country they have been an incredible support in the final days of a mother, father or other family member as they near the end of their lives. They give families that all important help to enjoy the last moments and leave them memories they can treasure. This, all in the knowledge that their loved ones are in the best of hands. I don’t even want to think about what I would do if I knew I was going to lose someone, but there is no other group of people that I would trust to help me through it than those guys at Marie Curie.

Have a look at Marie Curie’s Skinny Dip and it would be amazing if you got involved… you know I would love you to get your bangers out!

Huge Easter bunny hugs and kisses

xxx

Dare to bare with Marie Curie’s Skinny Dip

You have nothing to lose but your clothes!

Bare all and help set a new world record this summer by taking part in Marie Curie Cancer Care’s brand new skinny dip event on Sunday 2nd June.

The Skinny Dips will take place early in the morning in beautiful beach locations in East Lothian, Dorset, Essex and Wales. Shrouded in secrecy for now, the exact location of the dips will be revealed on registration. After their dash into the cold sea, skinny dippers will enjoy hot drinks and post-event festivities to warm up.

In 2011, 413 people plunged into the sea in South Wales, setting a new Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest skinny dip. This year the aim is to get as many people involved as possible to break our own record.

Marie Curie supporter Alison Powell who organised the 2011 event in aid of Marie Curie said:

“We all know people who have been affected by a terminal illness, and I think the work the Marie Curie Nurses do is overwhelmingly generous and beautiful” she says, “I wanted the skinny dip to be a celebration of life.” “It was absolutely the most hilarious and beautiful thing I‘ve ever seen – the sight of 400 people legging it into the water as naked as the day they were born!”

With three new locations across the UK, this year’s event hopes to be even bigger and better.

Family and friends are welcome to come along and join in the post event festivities.

The exact location of the skinny dip will be sent to you after your registration has been confirmed.

To register visit our website www.mariecurie.org.uk/skinnydip or call the Events Team on 0845 052 4184. Registration fee: £15, Minimum sponsorship: £85. Participants must be aged 18 or over.

Marie Curie Cancer Care gives people with all terminal illnesses the choice to die at home or in one of the charity’s hospices. Marie Curie Nurses allow families to make the most of the precious time they have left together, providing them and their families with free hands-on care and emotional support, right until the end.

The Marie Curie Nursing Service covers 96% of the UK. Our Marie Curie Hospices serve communities in London, West Midlands, Bradford, Liverpool, Newcastle, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The charity is also a leading investor in palliative and end of life care research for all terminal illnesses including dementia and heart failure.

The charity says: “Given the choice, most of us would want to die at home or in a hospice, surrounded by the people and things we cherish and Marie Curie Cancer Care makes this possible.

“But the sad fact is, every five minutes someone in the UK dies without the care they need at the end of their life.

That’s why we urgently need to reach more people – and why we’re counting on your support. Whether you give your money, time or simply your voice, you’ll help us make people’s final days as good as they can possibly be.”

To get help from the Marie Curie Nursing Service speak to your GP, district nurse or discharge nurse.

For more information visit www.mariecurie.org.uk or call 0800 716 146

www.twitter.com/mariecurieuk
www.facebook.com/MarieCurieUK

Registered charity no. 207994 (England & Wales), SCO38731 (Scotland)

The down-to-earth designer is known for dressing real women’s curves and his lingerie has been such a massive success that reports reveal a piece of his shapewear sells every three minutes, with the bestselling item being the £30 Slicker Knicker.

The launch of Gok’s £32 Banger Booster bra for Simply Be, which boosts cleavage without digging in and claims to offer a smooth silhouette, has been met with similar success, with a bra selling every hour in the UK.

Read more

Hugs, Gok x