Mother and daughter's fund-raising provides a Christmas boost for needy youngsters

Janet Lay of Beautiful Bakes ‘n’ Balloons and daughter Charlotte, who runs the Hello Beautiful salon in Preston Road, have come together for the third year in a row, raising £600 by raffling off a celebration cake, pedicure, acrylic nails and much more.

They money has been used to buy a huge selection of toys which have been passed on, through Forget-Me-Notts Fylde Coast to Lancashire County Council.

Forget-Me-Notts is a project run locally by Hope Church Lytham.

Its purpose is to empower local people and local businesses to support their social care system in meeting the practical emergency needs of the most vulnerable children in their local community, letting each child know they are not-forgotten.

Janet said “It’s so lovely to do some good for the community with our local church and the social care team and be able to provide gifts for local children who might otherwise be without.”

Charlotte added: “We couldn’t do it without the help of our lovely clients, customers, friends and family.”

John Filmer, Forget-Me-Notts project lead and pastor at the Hope Church in Preston Road, said “We are so grateful to Janet and Charlotte - what they have done is incredible.

"I know that these toys will make a huge difference to the children who receive them on Christmas morning.”

Forget-Me-Notts added 200 selection boxes to the toys purchased by Janet and Charlotte, and these were passed on to Lancashire County Council to be distributed by their social care team.

Tina Burke, family support worker for Lancashire County Council, said “Without this support, many of the children we work with wouldn’t get any presents this Christmas. It makes such a huge difference.”

John added “Through the work we do, we see first-hand some of the struggles families in our community face, and so when we’re able to bring some joy into their homes it’s such a privilege.”

Forget-Me Notts began in the East Midlands and its partnership with Hope Church Lytham became the first outside that area in 2020.

It came after Lancashire County Council identified the Fylde Coast as being the most under resourced area for asset based support due to its broad socio-economic spread and there was previously no such service in the area.