Shirebrook community's help needed to give youngsters Christmas stockings and food

Help is needed by two Shirebrook community groups to give needy children ‘happy tummies’ and full Christmas stockings this year.
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The Happy Tummies and BLAST schemes have joined forces and are appealing for donations for food and Christmas presents for children.

After seeing that the government was not providing food vouchers in the school holidays, earlier this year, a Shirebrook mum-of-two, Lisa Flint was inspired to help children.

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Lisa, who is 41, and is a stay at home mum, but worked in social and mental heath care for 16 years, set up the Happy Tummies scheme.

Lisa Barnes, administrator of Happy Tummies, Gracie-Alexis Frew, daughter of Lisa Flint, and Lisa Flint founder of Happy Tummies.Lisa Barnes, administrator of Happy Tummies, Gracie-Alexis Frew, daughter of Lisa Flint, and Lisa Flint founder of Happy Tummies.
Lisa Barnes, administrator of Happy Tummies, Gracie-Alexis Frew, daughter of Lisa Flint, and Lisa Flint founder of Happy Tummies.

She said: “I heard of kids being sent to school with no breakfast, schools were having to provide it. I knew there’d be families laid off, between benefits or awaiting a wage struggling to buy food. No child should go without food.

"I’d seen a scheme in a café in London where you could gift a coffee or a snack to the homeless. I wondered if this could be adapted for kids’ meals from cafes in our area.”

Lisa contacted Anna Pita, at Welcome Fish Bar, and Kerry Wilson of Wilson and Wrights café, Shirebrook, who agreed to donate meals and provided bargain hot meals.

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Lisa’s friend Lisa Barnes helped set up a PayPal Go Fund Me page and helped with administration of a scheme where residents could go into local eateries and donate a meal or money.

Pictured: Kerry and Dave Wilson and their daughter from Wilson Wrights cafePictured: Kerry and Dave Wilson and their daughter from Wilson Wrights cafe
Pictured: Kerry and Dave Wilson and their daughter from Wilson Wrights cafe

Lisa said: “No proof was needed, there are a lot of people struggling, we didn't want to make it harder on their pride. I spoke with schools who passed on the relevant info on websites and we had calls from social services, advice centres and the general public for emergency referrals for food hampers and meals to be delivered.

"Within 72 hours we had nearly £700 in our PayPal link on Facebook. Two kind donors Emma Preston Darrington and her childcare assistants at EarlyBirds child care Shirebrook, and Charlotte Charlesworth, at William Hill, Shirebrook, offered to do lunch bags. Meals and hampers helped families in Shirebrook, as far as the Sutton area.”

Lisa said: “Our brilliant delivery helpers, Craig Foster, Louise Evans, Christopher Frew, Gracie-Alexis Frew and I delivered 1,334 individual meals over two weeks in October. We had some amazing large, donations from our community and raised nearly £2,000, in food and cash.

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“We are now collecting for Christmas. Although the Government made a u-turn on meals, we find gaps where people are still in real urgent need.”

The manageress at William Hill, Shirebrook, Charlotte Charlesworth with one of the lunchbagsThe manageress at William Hill, Shirebrook, Charlotte Charlesworth with one of the lunchbags
The manageress at William Hill, Shirebrook, Charlotte Charlesworth with one of the lunchbags

Lisa said: “Support has come from: Park School Federation, which is helping to fundraise, thanks to help from head teacher Richard Hewitt, and Steve Fritchley and Pam Brown of Bolsover council are helping too.”

The Happy Tummies team is working with BLAST, a non profit organisation.

Lisa said: “Team member Keeley Howson is amazing and has some brilliant projects, this Christmas we are working on meals and toys for children. At Happy Tummies we want to unite the community, and with BLAST we want to help make Christmas one to remember for all with smiles all round.

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“We ask people to donate, visit our Facebook links so we can continue the magic for kids, families and people in need.”

Blast is appealing for a community hub. Toys (new only) can be dropped off at Lloyds pharmacy, Shirebrook.

And for Happy Tummies click:https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8tFf8dTDat

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