Caring Minnie, 6, raises £3k after explosion tragedy
FUNDS FROM YOUNGSTER’S CAKE SALE GO TO HOSPICE IN MEMORY OF HAZEL
A little girl has raised more than £3,000 for the hospice where a much-loved counsellor worked before her tragic death in a house explosion
The blast, on February 18, claimed the life of Hazel Wilcock, killed as she chatted on a video call with her boyfriend.
Neighbours in Summerseat emerged from their homes to ‘apocalyptic’ scenes of horror – Hazel’s home in East View reduced to rubble, sandwiched between terraces left, somehow, still standing.
Among them was little Minnie Chapelhow – who lives in Hamer Terrace, just metres away.
Aged just six, she was sleeping at the time of the explosion at around 9.20pm.
Her mum Faye heard the ‘huge bang’ and ‘bundled’ up her sleepy daughter, fleeing to Minnie’s great-grandma’s nearby home in Tottington.
In the weeks since the tragedy, Summerseat has come together to mourn the loss of a ‘one-of-a-kind’ woman.
Hazel, 61, was was born in Radcliffe and dedicated her life to caring for others, in particular, as a senior counsellor to patients and their families at St Ann’s Hospice, which she also raised money for in her spare time.
Prior to her work at St Ann’s Hospice, she was a social worker with deaf people in Blackburn.
Eventually, she became a director of Sign Health, where she created national access to counselling services for deaf people.
The revolutionary work made it easier for deaf people to access mental health services.
As the community reckoned with the loss of one of its brightest spirits in such tragic circumstances, residents decided to fundraise for the hospice in Hazel’s memory – including six-year-old Minnie.
Upset by the explosion and the death of her neighbour, Minnie selflessly asked her mum what she could do to help bring some happiness, and quickly came up with the idea of running a lemonade and cake stand to raise a few pounds for the cause.
Faye said: “Minnie had been quite shaken up and was upset when she realised what happened in the explosion, she wanted to do anything she could to help. She’s a very caring kid.
“Last week she said to me, ‘what can we do to raise some money for the lady who died, can we do a lemonade and bake sale?’
“I thought it was just going to be a case of getting a pasting table and some cakes from the Co-Op. But I posted the idea on Facebook in case anyone wanted to donate cakes to the sale so we could try and make a few pounds for the hospice.
“By the end of the week, I ended up with 220 cakes in my kitchen – beautiful cakes that local people had made. Another woman donated a balloon arch for me. I borrowed a gazebo and thought ‘this is going to be a bit bigger than I thought.’”
The outdoor bake sale was arranged for Saturday, March 6, at noon. But by 10am, Faye said the family already had a queue of people outside their door looking to donate money and get a slice of cake in their front garden.
“By about half 12, we’d sold out of everything!” said Faye.
“Then I had to do a cake run to the shop so I could keep the sale going and keep raising money. We ended up selling around 260 cakes.”
Over the course of the afternoon, Minnie’s stand was visited by dozens of people, including firefighters who were among the first responders at the scene on the night of the tragedy – and a man so moved by Minnie’s actions that he made a special donation.
“One local resident came down and gave Minnie a cheque for £2,000,” added Faye, 29.
“He said Minnie had inspired her and that she was a thoughtful sixyear-old.”
The generous resident was Christian Pepper, a businessman and another member of the Summerseat community.
He said: “It’s so commendable of Minnie and her parents to do this. Her act of kindness made me want to show an act of kindness.”
Money can be donated to St Ann’s Hospice on a Justgiving page set up in Hazel’s memory.