Stone me – it’s a world record with painted pebble tributes to Isla
A COLOURFUL event remembered the life of an inspiring little girl from Hinckley and set a new world record.
Family and friends of Isla Tansey came together in Argents Mead on Saturday and covered the grass with a haul of painted stones, in memory of Isla Tansey, who died a year ago, aged seven, of a brain tumour.
The stones were inspired by her #isla stones campaign, which has reached across the world with people painting and decorating pebbles and sharing pictures of them online, to raise awareness of children’s cancer.
Organisers hoped to set a new record for the most painted stones in one place, and they managed the feat with a staggering 8,542 stones.
Isla’s mum Katherine said in a post on Facebook: “We will never ever ever forget this day, it was inspiring and will keep us going with our fund-raising.
“Today, I saw so many smiling faces and I chatted with so many kind and beautiful people from all over the country. It was a day Isla would have loved, a day we wished she was here to share.
“Today was about smiles, breaking world records and raising awareness of childhood cancer so the money we have raised is such an added bonus.”
Family events on the day included dance and other performances from groups in the area, and a platoon of Star Wars stormtroopers was dispatched to guard the pebbles as the number was totted up.
Thousands of pounds were raised on the day towards the good cause and research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, the brain tumour Isla had.
Local landlords Darren and Louise Lavender from the New Plough Inn, in Hinckley, also presented a cheque for £4,345, which they had raised with their London Marathon run.
Darren said in a post on the pub Facebook page: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our regulars, friends, family, Team Greyhound and Team Plough, who, without your generosity and support, we wouldn’t be able do these things, you are all brilliant.
“This may sound biased but to me and Louise The New Plough Inn and its community really is the best, thank you all again.”
A large memorial was set up around the bandstand in the Mead in the weeks after Isla’s death and a large boulder has been installed there in her memory.
The campaign recently won the national Best Social and Community Contribution award by the Association of Town and City Management.
For more information, visit the #islastones Facebook page.