Swindon Lions donate £1,500 to local children's charities

The Swindon Lions Club has raised £1,500 for local charities which provide care and support for terminally ill children in the region.

Jessie May, which provides hospice at home care in Wiltshire, as well as Julia’s House, benefitted from the donations, which were raised in December with bucket collections around Swindon.

Peter Kennwell, from Swindon Lions Club, said: “We all felt Jessie May is a very much needed service here in Swindon & Wiltshire and we were very pleased to help.”

The Swindon Lions Club raises money for local causes throughout the year. Part of Lions Clubs International, the organisation is made up of a network of volunteers who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.

Jessie May was set up by the parents of Jessica May Purrington, a little girl who died at home aged four months, surrounded by her family and her nurses. Jessie May has a team of dedicated nurses who provide care to children and families during a child’s life and after their death. It costs around £1,400,000 to provide this care yearly so public support like this is vital.

Julian Withers, head of fundraising at Jessie May, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Swindon Lions and everyone in Swindon who donated over the festive period.

“We’ve only recently begun helping people in Wiltshire but already have 39 local families on our caseload – 34 children and 5 bereaved families. We’re hoping to be able to help many more families in the future and begin to raise awareness of the work we do in Swindon and Wiltshire.

“Our Jessie May nurses are a lifeline to parents and siblings as well as children who are going through a very tough time and need complex emotional and medical support from professionals.”

For more information about the work of Jessie May visit www.jessiemay.org.uk