The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
So many rallying round to help
The acts of kindness supporting the community across Peterborough keep coming... By PT reporters
From free meals and care packages to fundraising, people in Peterborough have been rallying round to help those in need during the coronavirus.
Retired paediatric nurse and devoted mother Morag Winston from Deeping St Nicholas has been “amazed” at how those have rallied around to support her and her 23-yearold son Harry during lockdown.
Harry, who has a number of disabilities including epilepsy, autism and Down’s syndrome, has relied on using his Lay-Z-Spa hot tub which has helped with his sensory needs. But disaster struck when rats chewed through it and Morag was unable to fix it.
With the help and generosity of friends, family, charities and strangers, Morag has been able to raise £4,500 (after targeting £4,000) in only a few days. Putting the money towards a hot tub, it means Harry is able to enjoy the hot temperatures and enjoy an activity as he would before the lockdown.
With help from Posh Spas, they will be fitting and supplying a new hydrotherapy hot tub at cost price for the family.
As Harry is not able to understand what is going on, adjusting to lockdown has been difficult for the family. Morag said: “We’re in isolation without a break and I needed help to give him something he loves.
“It’s been really hard. I am so thankful. I’m gobsmacked. It will make such a difference in our lives. You get through the day-to-day, but it’s the days when you don’t see anybody that are hard.”
Though normally Harry attends sessions at Sense, where he can enjoy the outdoors taking part in horse riding, trampolining and ice skating, the hot tub is set to bring hours of joy and stimulation.
With endless support from close friends and family, it looks as if ‘cheeky chappie’ Harry will be able to enjoy his new hot tub for years to come.
• A Peterborough family have made parcels of goodies to thank key workers for their work during the coronavirus crisis.
The Smith family, from Orton Malborne, have been creating care packages for key workers, which have contained little treats like snacks, skincare products, candles and a personalised coaster to ‘thank them for their hard work.’
The boys Shaun-Junior (6) and Logan-Andrew (4) have been painting personalised messages on the coasters and colourful drawings of rainbows and hearts.
Donna Smith was amazed at her children wanting to give back, in such a creative way.
“My six year old wanted to collect pine-cones to deliver to everybody. I said they might be a little dirty. So we took some logs to make something out of them and it started from there. We wanted to give people something they could keep and would last a long time.”
Having distributed over 140 bags, donations have poured in from people across Peterborough which Donna is so thankful for as she ‘couldn’t have done it without them’.
The gift packages so far have gone out to care homes, supermarket workers, lorry drivers, Peterborough City Hospital, pharmacists, teachers and other key workers. If you have any gifts you’d like to donate to Donna’s care packages, give Donna a call on 07594939457.
• A youth football team in Peterborough have run and cycled across the city as part of a giant team relay to raise money for charity Sands. A national campaign caught the eyes of the Hampton Robins under 12s after hearing of how charities were struggling to maintain funds. The team were raising money to support the stillbirth and neonatal deaths charity which they proudly displays on the back of their shirts and is their charity of the year.
Manager Mark AnsellCrook devised a non-contact relay route for the team to take part in the national 2.6 challenge. The team made up of 31 players, their siblings and families set out to complete their stretch running and cycling 2.6 miles each.
Adhering to social distancing, the legs of the relay spanned from Hemington to Coates with routes in Folksworth, Farcet and Hampton. Keeping team spirit up the families exchanged pictures and messages over WhatsApp. Treasurer Amy Eagling was incredibly impressed at the team’s efforts, as this was their first big-scale fundraising event.
She said: “Our fundraising is just over £1,300 which is incredible. We were hoping for a few hundred pounds! When we heard about how much charities were struggling, especially the smaller ones, we wanted to help. It was a really nice team event, even though we weren’t together.”
• A Peterborough chippy has marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day by gifting a free fish and chip dinner to a Second World War veteran.
Netherton Fisheries pro
vided the free meal to Ernest Bolder who lives in the city.
The 95-year-old has been isolated for eight weeks and is being cared for by his granddaughter Lisa Caswell.
Ernest received his food after the fish and chip shop put out a message offering two free meals to mark the special anniversary of victory in Europe during the war.
Lisa said: “I couldn’t be more proud than I am to have a grandfather who sacrificed so much for the freedom we have today.”
Ernest served in the Royal Engineers after signing up as a 17-year-old in Grimsby.
He served in Italy for most of the war, with his role to plant mines. He would sleep in an old church for many weeks with limited food.
Tragedy struck when he saw one of his friends involved in a land mine accident, resulting in his friend’s leg being blown off. Ernest had to save him while waiting for medics to arrive.
Ernest later spent six months in Austria before returning home at the end of the war. Netherton Fisheries owner Marcus Smith said: “We have just reopened and it was important to us to help the local community. It’s been an honour to cook for a World War Two veteran.”
A cyclist in Whittlesey • has raised £1,500 after taking on a gruelling 24 hour indoor ride - beginning on his 45th birthday! David Edis, left, completed 438 miles on his turbo trainer on Saturday and Sunday to raise the money for the Helping Whittlesey group which has been feeding elderly and vulnerable residents in the town. Egged on by fellow members of the Whittlesey Wheelers who were able to join him virtually at different stages, as well as monitor his progress on Zoom, David surpassed his targets of riding 400 miles and raising £500.
To donate to David’s fundraising appeal, visit: https:// www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wwcc.