Family fun day for Ollie’s Army
Rail visit sees flood damage
A FAMILY fun day in the name of two children battling a rare disease has raised almost £6,500.
Brother and sister Ollie and Amelia Carroll, from Poynton, both have Battens Disease, a rare degenerative condition with no known cure.
As they get older they will lose their speech, mobility and eyesight.
Money raised from the event earlier this month at Poynton Sports Club will go to the Ollie’s Army campaign which will help the children’s parents Lucy and Mike pay for medical equipment as their needs become greater.
But money also went to the Batten Disease Family Association which support the Carrolls, raises awareness and funds research into the disease.
In a statement the family said: “Thank you to every single person who turned up for our family fun day. Despite the rain LOCAL politicians have seen first-hand the scale of the repairs needed to reopen the railway between Buxton and Manchester after a significant landslip closed the line in June.
Macclesfield MP David Rutley and Coun Harold Davenport from Cheshire East Council visited the area and saw the scale and complexity of the work to restore the line between Middlewood and Disley, where flash floods caused 6,000 tonnes of earth and material to be washed away. in the morning, £6,449.85 was raised for Ollie’s Army and the BDFA! Wow!
“We could not have done it without you, we are incredibly grateful to live in such a supportive community. The funds raised will go toward supporting Ollie and Amelia’s growing medical needs, their much needed home adaptions and also toward ongoing research in the hope that one day there will be a cure for this devastating disease.
“We hope those who attended had a great day. It was truly heart warming to see so many families enjoying time spent together, it is so unbelievably precious.”
Friends of the Carrolls continue to take on other fundraisers to help where they can. Jennifer Laynge will be taking on Tough Mudder, three friends will be taking on the National Three Peaks 24-hour challenge and Claire Penny raised £785 jumping out of a plane.
Following extensive damage to this stretch of track, Network Rail’s orange army worked quickly and safely to repair the damage, reopening the railway to passengers in less than two weeks.
David Rutley MP for Macclesfield said: “It was impressive to see the quality of the major repairs at Disley and Middlewood stations after the flooding in June. The Network Rail team deserves real praise for their speed of response and for making
Bake Off star Luis Troyano, who owns The Hive Bakery in Poynton, has also been selling cakes for the cause. passenger’s safety a clear priority.”
Tony Butler, route asset manager for Network Rail, said: “We were committed to reopening the railway for passengers as quickly and safely as possible and trains were able to run less than two weeks after 6,000 tonnes of earth and material were washed away.
“The work we have undertaken will mean the railway in this location will be more resilient to extreme weather, resulting in a more reliable service for passengers.”