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Aug 2021

Last Updated: 05/08/2021

Community

Harrogate children's street sale raises £650 for Saint Michael's hospice

by Alys Jones

| 05 Aug, 2021

The six enterprising children aged nine to 12 baked cakes, made dog biscuits and sold bric-a-brac to support the local hospice in what has become an annual fundraising event.

Six schoolchildren have raised £647 for Saint Michael's by baking cakes for a street sale in Harrogate.

Louisa (age 9), Chloe (10), Yasmin, Sophia, Annalise (all 11), and Ben (12) sold the cakes along with bric-a-brac to help the local hospice. They even made dog biscuits so four-legged visitors didn't miss out.

The bake sale has become an annual fixture on Harrogate's Valley Mount, after sisters Yasmin and Louisa started it in 2015 when they were aged just 5 and 3, along with friends Ben and Chloe.

In 2019 the group was invited to visit Saint Michael's headquarters at Hornbeam Park to see where their funds had gone — which gave them an extra incentive to continue fundraising.

Yasmin said:

"Saint Michael's is a really good charity because it helps people who are ill and their families too. We have a charity shop at the end of our street and we wanted to help.

"The first time we only raised £8, and every year we've wanted to keep beating how much we raised the last time. Last year we couldn’t do it because of covid, so we wanted to raise even more this time to make up for it.

"Our aim this time was to get £80 - so we’re actually quite surprised, we didn’t think we’d get this much!"

The youngsters drummed up support for their event by sticking posters on lamp posts and knocking on doors to invite people to sample their baking and make donations.

Saint Michael's Hospice helps people in the Harrogate district living with a terminal illness or bereavement.

Tony Collins, chief executive of Saint Michael’s, said:

“Each year, we spend more than £6 million pounds providing our vital services, and the majority of our work is funded thanks to the generosity and support of our local community.

“We were delighted to hear of the recent fundraising stall by Louisa, Chloe, Yasmin, Sofia, Annalise, and Ben, which has raised more than £600. The generosity and thoughtfulness of these children is heart-warming and we are very grateful to them for their continued support. This is a wonderful example of community support in action.

“Fundraising such as this helps us to continue to make a huge impact locally, ensuring families living with terminal illness and bereavement get the care and support they need at the most difficult of times in their lives.”

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Harrogate children's street sale raises £650 for Saint Michael's hospice

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