Mother’s pride Nicole is now a charity hero
AYOUNG girl has been named the ‘Pride of Cheshire’ for her inspiring fundraising work after losing her mum to liver failure.
Nicole Kitchin, 10, from Hurdsfield, finished a gruelling assault course earlier this year to raise money in her memory.
Attending the Silk FM Local Hero Awards ceremony at Crewe Hall Hotel, the Parkroyal Community School pupil admitted she didn’t think she would win.
On the night, she won not just the main award - but also another one for her ‘Act of Courage’ - and on accepting the award, Nicole said she was ‘ecstatic’.
In September, Nicole completed the one-mile Lidl Mudder assault course at Cholmondeley Castle and collected over £1,300, smashing her target of £500.
It was a real team effort with friends from Parkroyal also taking part as well as staff and other parents going along.
Brother Charlie, 14, helped with her fundraising and he went to cheer her on at the event with their stepdad Brenden Watt.
After seeing her take home two awards from the ceremony, Brenden, 42, of Garden Street, said he was “proper proud”.
“I’m really proud of her, just because of what she’s been through,” he said.
“She’s been through a lot but she’s turned a negative into a positive by doing this charity work.”
Nicole was inspired by her late mother Rachel Phelps, who tragically died earlier this year aged 37 but had previously done lots of fundraising herself with events including a skydive and half marathon.
Rachel had visited the doctors and was originally told she had scarring on her liver.
Around four months later she was informed she had liver failure and passed away at the start of the year.
Brenden said that it was at her mum’s funeral that Nicole told him she wanted to start raising money and since then it had given them all something to focus on.
Nicole is hoping to start fundraising for the British Liver Trust again in the New Year, and is even considering tackling the longest zip line in Europe, which is in Penrhyn Slate Quarry in Wales.
“We are going to get Christmas out of the way first,” Brenden said.
“It’s the first time without their mum so it will be hard for them - hard for all of us.”
She was also recently awarded with a Blue Peter badge after her teacher applied for it on her behalf.
Brenden added: “She was loving it. She gets into places for free but now she wants to get all the others - she wants to do the recycling one. She keeps going on about saving the turtles so maybe that’s what she’ll do next.”