A DOG trainer in Warwick has taken the fund-raising lead to help bring some festive spirit to hospitalised children this Christmas.
Andy O’Brien, who runs The K9 Club, has joined forces with Warwick charity Molly Olly’s Wishes to raise money for toys.
The dog-lover has even pledged to dye his hair the pink – the colour of the charity – if they hit the £2,000 target.
Andy said: “We want to give children the best Christmas ever after this crazy year. We are trying to raise as much as we can to buy toys and wrap them up for the children stuck in hospitals over Christmas.
“We know times are hard at the moment and any amount will help to make a child’s Christmas that little bit better. Our Hatton Park neighbours, Molly Olly’s Wishes, do an amazing job and we are so happy to be teaming up with them.”
The charity was founded in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.
It supports families and children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses, as well as granting wishes and donating therapeutic toys and books to children and hospitals across the UK.
Part of some £2.5million raised to date has been used to fund the first Molly Olly consultant in paediatric medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Rachel said: “Molly Olly’s are so lucky to be surrounded by a great community and Andy and his team are very much a part of that.
“Molly Olly’s were approached by our local community nursing team to see if we could help organise gifts for seriously ill children as the normal Christmas party run by the nurses is unable to go ahead this year. The charity is putting together gift boxes which Andy heard about and wanted to help by contributing toys.
“A variety of items will be put together to make a special gift box and delivered to families in December. Big thanks to Andy and all those that have supported him to help us bring some smiles in these challenging times.”
The gifts will be delivered to families by community nurses mid-December.
Visit the Crowdfunding to to buy Christmas presents for children with Molly Olly’s Wishes page on JustGiving to donate.
Visit www.mollyolly.co.uk for more information on the charity.
