Turning 50 is a milestone to be celebrated!
When Shelle turned 50 in July 2021, she wanted to do something memorable to celebrate her half century, so she launched an initiative to complete ‘50 Challenges at 50‘, all in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Visit the JustGiving page for further details here.
“My family have travelled a difficult path with dementia; it’s an awful illness, which robs people of their dignity, their relationships, and their soul, and there is currently no cure.
- Dementia is now the number one cause of death in the UK
- For every four cancer researchers, there is only one dementia researcher, worldwide
- One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime
- The annual cost of dementia to the UK economy is circa £26bn, which is greater than the cost of cancer and heart disease put together
“Research is absolutely critical if we are to understand more about the causes of this awful illness. Alzheimer’s Research UK is on a mission to bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025, hence they are my charity partner for this initiative.
“All 50 challenges have been set for me now and I’m working my way through them. You can still donate, however, and every penny counts! Thank you.”
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#35 What a mezz(e)!
When I appeared on Steph’s Packed Lunch back in June, I met the boys from BOSH! They are Henry and Ian; vegan chefs with a huge following. We were chatting after the show and they offered to set me a challenge. Now, I’m certified as the world’s worst cook, so having...
#34 It’s really not that cold, honest!
During lockdown, a lot of people got into wild swimming as a form of outdoor exercise. I wasn’t one of them. Amanda O’Brien was, however, so she and her husband Con set me a challenge to give it a go. Now, I’m not a strong swimmer, but I figured I could splash about...
#33 Give me a sign!
Back in November 2021 when we were all watching Strictly on a Sunday evening and Rose Ayling-Ellis was flying the flag for deaf and hard of hearing people, my friends Vanessa and Adrian challenged me to learn sign language to a song, and perform it at a gig. We...
#32 Ho ho! Ha ha ha!
They say that laughter is the best medicine, and no one can deny that the positive effects of a good belly laugh can last for hours. Laughing Yoga first appeared in 1995 when a doctor introduced the combination of playful laughter and deep breathing techniques. Since...
#31 Complete a challenge (or 3) live on national TV
Phone caller: “Hi Shelle. I’m a producer for Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4. Thanks for writing into us about the fundraising work you’re doing. Are you available to be in Leeds on Monday to appear live on the show.” Me: “Yep.” Well, that was a no brainer! So, for...
#30 Finding my funny
When my friend and vocal coach Mandy Bell made a donation to my page and challenged me to do stand-up comedy, I don’t think she thought I’d actually do it! But you know me by now. I’m not one to shy away from a challenge unless it’s too expensive or totally beyond my...
#29 Painting by numbers
Well, not quite, but it might as well have been! My mate Anthony Pryde messaged me one day to excitedly announce he’d found a challenge for me – in Artists & Illustrators magazine. Oh heck! The brief was to paint a lifelike portrait with just three colours plus...
#28 Get over it!
The O2 Dome was built to commemorate the arrival of the third millennium and, throughout the year 2000, it housed the Millennium Experience. It’s since been converted into a huge entertainment complex with the second largest capacity arena in the UK at its heart. The...