TV comedy star Keith Lemon has lent his support to a fundraising campaign by a Suffolk brother and sister in aid of NHS workers.
Ella and Cameron Fisher, from Newmarket, have been making luxury goody bags for staff that include items such as soaps, snacks, water bottles, tea bags, chocolate treats, and candles.
So far Ella, aged 13, and 11-year-old Cameron have raised more than £1,300 on their GoFundMe page ‘Surprise NHS shoeboxes’ which pays for the goods they put in the bags.
Goods have also been donated by businesses from all over the UK.
Keith, whose real name is Leigh Francis, saw what they were doing via their Instagram page ‘nhs.surprise’ and was so impressed, he contacted them offering support.
Proud mum Emma said: “Keith Lemon saw what they were doing on Instagram and messaged asking if he could help.
“I asked if he could donate some drawings, which he did, and he has messaged support since and shared posts, which is lovely. He seems a very nice and genuine bloke.”
Other messages of support have come from TV stars Davina McCall and Kym Marsh, and Emma said they had also been contacted by the Pride of Britain awards.
Ella and Cameron set up the project after hearing of PPE supply problems for hospital workers.
Ella asked father Scott, who owns H2O Scientific laboratory in Snailwell, if they could donate some items from the business and gave safety visors and gloves to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
But the youngsters wanted to do more as a thank you to the work of NHS staff and decided to make and fill shoeboxes containing surprise gifts.
They contacted businesses who gave them a host of items and they set up a fund to purchase gifts after people asked if they could donate money.
One supporter included Katrina Fox, of Thetford, a friend of Emma’s, who donated more than £300 she had made selling home-made soft toys.
Soon the shoeboxes were filled, so they turned to creating the bags. So far, 350 have been given out, with three hospitals benefiting - Addenbrooke’s, Newmarket and West Suffolk in Bury St Edmunds.
Emma said: “We’re very pround of them. Ella and Cameron have always been keen fundraisers ever since they were little but they have done so well here.”
Ella, a pupil at the Newmarket Academy, and Cameron, who left Paddocks Primary School at the end of this term to link up with his sister at the Academy, are planning to continue donating the bags - as they want to give to all the NHS staff involved in the Covid-19 pandemic including cleaners, porters, ambulance crews, X-ray and blood staff and all those who work on the frontline.
Amy Hatch, fundraising officer for the My WiSH Charity, which supports the work of the West Suffolk Hospital, said: “We were just blown away by Ella and Cameron, who have been busy making luxury goody bags for our wonderful staff.”
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