Sankey family inspire fundraising effort to decorate popular park

A FUNDRAISING event held for a children’s hospice has led to a park in Great Sankey being decorated in handmade wind spinners.

Graham and Claire Withington take their three-year-old daughter, Evie, to Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, that helps care for babies and young children with life-limiting, life-threatening or complex conditions.

Evie had her first seizure at just three days old and was diagnosed with infantile spasms at eight months.

Testing revealed that Evie has a rare genetic brain disorder called AARS1 mutation – and is one of only four children in the UK that lives with it.

Due to her condition, Evie requires extensive care and supervision as she can’t sit up by herself and is non-verbal.

Last year, Claire and Graham started taking Evie to Zoe’s Place, on Yew Tree Lane in Liverpool, where she now goes three to four times a month.

The family started fundraising for Zoe's Place in May (Image: Supplied)

“It’s an absolutely wonderful place, it’s our absolute lifeline,” said Claire.

“It means that Evie can go and play with children similar to her and we can switch off and go and do things without her and not need to worry.

“Once Evie finds out that she’s going she gets really excited, she loves it.”

While at home in Great Sankey, Evie and Claire regularly go to Stitch Station, a café and wool shop on Station Road, where they met Diane Hughes, who suggested they team up to hold a fundraiser for Zoe’s Place.

In order to fund its journey to a new home, Zoe’s Place needs to raise £3.5 million, and the Withington’s started fundraising for them earlier this year.

“We wanted to do our bit to help, and I mentioned it to Stitch Station and they wanted to help too,” said Claire.

Stitch Station's customers have been making crocheted wind spinners to decorate the park (Image: Supplied)

Diane, who owns Stitch Station, wanted to help so a fundraiser was organised, in which customers at the café could create wind spinners to hang at Vicarage Community Park last Saturday.

Evie also participated in the activities and drove around the park completing laps in her pink car.

In total, the Withington’s have raised £2,829 in the various fundraising activities they have been holding since May, using a Go Fund Me page to help the effort.

Claire and Graham will be holding more fundraising events throughout the year, and the wind spinners project will be ongoing at Stitch Station until the end of the month.

For those who want to make a wind spinner, you can contact Stitch Station on 07961667585, or head over to the café and pick up a pack of donated yarn.