ACHING ARMS

This cause was part of Christmas Day Race
This unique race URL is https://ecoracing.co/cause/aching-arms-1909/


ABOUT US
Aching Arms is a UK-registered baby loss charity. We offer comfort and support to bereaved families following the loss of their baby during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after.

We are proud to provide Aching Arms comfort teddy bears to over 160 UK-wide NHS hospitals, hospices, funeral directors, other support agencies, and to families who contact us directly.

Our care team host Supporting Arms, a telephone and email support service that gives families a confidential, safe space to talk to someone who understands the devastating impact of baby loss and where they will be listened to with empathy and compassion.

Our work also includes actively campaigning to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss. We strongly advocate for bereaved parents' emotional and mental health needs, and improved bereavement care. We deliver an ongoing programme of awareness training for healthcare professionals and bereavement care in the workplace training for employers.

OUR VIRTUAL BALLOON RACE
Welcome to our Christmas Virtual Balloon Race – a computer simulation race where everything is real except the balloon! It’s 100% eco-friendly with no risk of harm to wildlife.

Each virtual balloon costs just £3 and you can buy as many balloons as you would like.

Setting off from Santa's Village, Lapland, the balloons will be ‘released’ on Christmas Day at 12pm (noon) and race for 7 days.

Enjoy taking part in this fun event from the comfort of your own home and track your balloons live as they gently float across the virtual sky. The specialist software uses live weather data to determine the progress of each balloon and they can be tracked on Google Maps and satellites once the race has launched.

The race finishes on New Year's Day at 12pm (noon). Winners will be contacted directly and announced on our social media platforms within 5 working days.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Simply sign-up (so we know who you are if you win), once you've paid for your balloon you can then name, personalise, and decorate your balloon via your dashboard by choosing the shape, colour, and pattern, plus the helium content and rubber thickness.

A BALLOON FOR YOU, A BALLOON FOR ME, A BALLOON FOR OUR FAMILY
Your balloon can be in memory of someone special, to celebrate Christmas, or just for fun!

Virtual balloons can even be gifted and make a perfect 'virtual' gift. Choose to support Aching Arms whilst buying a fun
and unique Christmas gift.

To buy a balloon as a gift, once you've signed-up, simply purchase a balloon activation code for £3 each and either send the code to your family and friends for them to activate or print it off, pop it in a card or wrap it up for a lovely Christmas surprise. To join the race, gift codes must be activated by 11.30am on Christmas Day. The gift recipient can decorate, name, and track their balloon themselves. They may even win a prize!

PRIZES TO BE WON
NATIONAL STAR PRIZES - for the top 12 balloons travelling the furthest from all charities joining this race:
* 1st prize - £500 cash
* 2nd prize - Apple iPad
* 10 x £10 national book tokens.

ACHING ARMS PRIZES - for the top 3 Aching Arms supporters' balloons travelling the furthest in this race:
* 1st prize - £100 Amazon gift card
* 2nd prize - £50 Amazon gift card
* 3rd prize - £25 Amazon gift card.

HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The vital funds you raise ensure we can continue to offer comfort and support to bereaved families across the UK following the loss of their baby.

Please share our Christmas Virtual Balloon Race with your family, friends and colleagues and invite them to support Aching Arms with the purchase of their balloons.

WE'RE HERE TO HELP
If you have any questions about our Christmas Virtual Balloon Race, please get in touch with our Fundraising Team, Karen and Roberta, at [email protected] or call us on 07826 067780.

For more information about our charity, to request a bear, or to donate a bear in memory, please see our website:
https://achingarms.co.uk

Thank you and best of luck!

The Aching Arms Team x

Our fundraising target is: £3000

Gross monies raised so far: £2439

Supporters so far: 398

Share this story

View race results

Top 20 balloons within cause

  • #0 Oscar : travelled 147.78km POPPED
    Race position: 2
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Poppy kay Clarke : travelled 146.98km POPPED
    Race position: 3
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Joshua : travelled 146.20km POPPED
    Race position: 4
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Oliver Paul Speed : travelled 141.22km POPPED
    Race position: 16
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Elizabeth: travelled 136.77km POPPED
    Race position: 20
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Hannah : travelled 132.47km POPPED
    Race position: 26
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Pip Page XXX: travelled 128.28km FINISHED
    Race position: 39
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 My angel Holly : travelled 127.86km FINISHED
    Race position: 41
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 LeaJFamily: travelled 126.78km POPPED
    Race position: 50
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Balloon: travelled 126.12km POPPED
    Race position: 58
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Isla Wiles: travelled 126.08km FINISHED
    Race position: 59
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 No Strings Attached: travelled 125.87km FINISHED
    Race position: 61
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Alaia: travelled 125.60km FINISHED
    Race position: 66
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Adam John Ryan Evans: travelled 125.57km FINISHED
    Race position: 67
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Balloon: travelled 124.98km FINISHED
    Race position: 70
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 For my twin Holly : travelled 124.91km FINISHED
    Race position: 71
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Big Brother Theo: travelled 124.40km FINISHED
    Race position: 75
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Nora: travelled 124.19km FINISHED
    Race position: 81
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Theodora Rose Augustin: travelled 124.15km POPPED
    Race position: 82
    Cause position: ...

  • #0 Ronnie Raindeer: travelled 123.98km FINISHED
    Race position: 85
    Cause position: ...



Supporter Balloons (813)

  • Oscar joined the race on November 7, 2021, 12:15 AM
    Race position: 2

  • Poppy kay Clarke joined the race on November 29, 2021, 9:17 PM
    Race position: 3

  • Joshua joined the race on December 19, 2021, 5:13 PM
    Race position: 4

  • Oliver Paul Speed joined the race on December 10, 2021, 6:02 PM
    Race position: 16

  • Elizabeth joined the race on December 24, 2021, 8:53 AM
    Race position: 20

  • Hannah joined the race on November 10, 2021, 11:20 PM
    Race position: 26

  • Pip Page XXX joined the race on November 27, 2021, 6:43 PM
    Race position: 39

  • My angel Holly joined the race on December 23, 2021, 1:30 PM
    Race position: 41

  • LeaJFamily joined the race on November 19, 2021, 6:41 PM
    Race position: 50

  • Balloon joined the race on November 26, 2021, 11:32 PM
    Race position: 58