gemfest

Gemfest 2017

Event Date: 
16/04/2017 - 11:00am
Venue: 
Exeter Phoenix

Gemfest is back for it’s 5th year of festival fundraising! Over £20,000 was raised for Hospiscare and The Brain Tumour Charity at the last 3 events.

Organised by local Brain Tumour ‘survivor’ and her team, there will be a day event (11am-4pm) packed with family activities topped off with a variety of live music and entertainment (see website for full line up) in the evening from 6pm. So no reason to be bored this Easter Sunday! Come and warm up for the festival season, there’s something for everyone – guaranteed. And don’t forget to wear your wellies – it is a festival after all...

Another brilliant GemFest

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Mon, 03/28/2016 - 11:55pm

Well done Team GemFest for another brilliant fun filled mini indoor festival at the Exeter Phoenix.

You’ve also raised money for Exeter Hospiscare – thank you Team GemFest and all the artists, businesses and volunteers who gave their time and the crowds who supported the event on Easter Sunday.

GemFest featured an afternoon of family fun at the Exeter Phoenix Centre, with lots of music, games, face painting and Easter eggs, with great music from Teens Support Hospiscare.

The evening saw an amazing line up of local talent featuring an eclectic mix of music, comedy,...

Your guide to What's On this weekend

Your essential guide to What's On in and around Exeter this weekend.

THEATRE

This Land Friday & Saturday, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter How far down do you own the land you stand on? Bea and Joseph are re-kindling their love. But, with the arrival of a fracking company ready to dig, the village where they live is falling apart. Through the lives of a young couple, This Land tells a story of community, belonging and the ground beneath our feet. What does the place where you live mean to you? What happens when someone else comes along and stakes their claim? Tickets: £10 (£8...

'Terminal' cancer survivor Gemma's holiday of a lifetime

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Thu, 03/17/2016 - 6:36pm

Exeter’s very special mini-indoor music and performance festival GemFest 2016 takes place on Easter Sunday, March 27 at the Exeter Phoenix.

The event is organised by Gemma Wensley, a brain tumour ‘survivor’ from Exeter, and a committed team of her friends. Gemma has recently returned from a holiday of a lifetime in Australia and New Zealand, a trip she was planning before she was struck down with an inoperable brain tumour in 2009.

Gemma said: “I really did have the time of my life! It was so emotional to finally get to Australia as I have always wanted to go. When I became...

Gemfest 2016

Event Date: 
27/03/2016 - 11:00am
Venue: 
Exeter Phoenix

Gemfest is back for it’s fourth year of festival fundraising.

The last three events saw over £15,000 raised for Hospiscare and The Brain Tumour Charity.

Organised by a local brain tumour ‘survivor’ and her friends, the daytime event (11am-4pm) is packed with family activities, while in the evening we’ll be hosting a variety of live music and entertainment from 6pm. Come and warm up for the festival season, there’s something for everyone – guaranteed. Don’t forget to wear your wellies – it is a festival after all!

Daytime session: 11am - 4pm , free - donations...

I've gone from planning my funeral to the holiday of a lifetime...

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Fri, 11/27/2015 - 4:14pm

Exeter’s Gemma Wensley is planning the holiday of a lifetime - an astonishing trip for a woman who a few years ago was planning her funeral.

The popular city nurse is celebrating surviving six years since her brain tumour terminal diagnosis. Five years of gruelling chemotherapy seems to have worked and Gemma is now well enough and can just about afford the insurance to holiday in Dubai, Australia and New Zealand where she will be visiting friends.

“My brain tumour is still inoperable but I’m still here and I feel confident that I am going to live longer, “said Gemma. “...

Gemma - A Woman on a Mission

Gemma marched into the hospice reception yesterday.

It was a definite march, not an amble or a saunter, a march like soldier with the air of “let’s crack on and get things done.” Having last seen her in March I was expecting a warm greeting and a good long catch up – no chance.

This was a woman on a mission.

Gemma is our miracle Hospiscare patient who is much loved by staff and volunteers. Despite being diagnosed with a brain tumour six years ago Gemma is still with us, but as a volunteer fundraiser rather than a patient. The chemotherapy worked!

During her...

Cancer survivor's event a big success

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Wed, 04/08/2015 - 6:10pm

Exeter’s very special mini-indoor festival GemFest 2015 was a huge success – raising money for Hospiscare and lots of smiles from happy festival goers.

GemFest featured an afternoon of family fun at the Exeter Phoenix Centre, with lots of music, games, face painting and Easter eggs, with great music from Teens Support Hospiscare.

The evening saw an amazing line up of local talent featuring an eclectic mix of music, comedy, poetry, DJ’s and more.

The Silent Disco, wearing headphones with a choice of two DJ’s, proved popular. Festival goers wanting to glam it up...

Gemfest 2015

Event Date: 
05/04/2015 - 11:00am
Venue: 
Exeter Phoenix

Gemfest is back for its third year of festival fundraising, having raised over £11,000 for Hospiscare and The Brain Tumour Charity at the last two events.

Organised by local Brain Tumour ‘survivor’ Gemma and her friends, Gemfest promises a day packed with free family activities topped off with a variety of live music and entertainment in the evening from 6pm. Something for everyone – guaranteed.

11am – 4pm: free 6pm – 1am: £12.50 (all profits donated to charity)

THE DAY

The Main Auditorium will host a range of performances followed by free workshops upstairs...

Brave Gemma beating the odds

Gemma Wensley is celebrating her “miraculous” survival five years on from being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The popular former Exeter nurse, who is well known for her charity fundraising, has good news to share.

She said: “I’ve been off my chemotherapy now for six months and the scans are looking positive. There has been no change since a year ago.

"The doctors have said they do not know how to explain it. I thought it was game over. For things to have gone the way they have, it’s really miraculous.” Over the weekend Gemma celebrated her 33rd birthday with...

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