Children’s Christmases have been transformed thanks to the fundraising efforts of a trio from Paycare.
Rebecca Lister, Jodie Smith and Millie Painting from the Health Cash Plan provider spent an incredible 24 hours reading 12 books between them.
And their Read-a-thon has so far raised more than £2,300 which has been split between three worthy causes to help bring some festive magic to the lives of local children.
Part of the money was used to buy 22 presents for the Dunelm Giving Tree campaign (which enables customers to buy something for a person who may otherwise not receive a gift), and the team also purchased gift cards to be distributed to older children in the community via The Haven Wolverhampton.
They also became Magic Makers for Birmingham Children’s Hospital, donating funds which will see one of the wards transformed into a Winter Wonderland complete with grotto – which the trio will be spending a day at soon.
The group read seven books in the first half of the challenge – with the help of some snacks and fresh air! – and a further five in the latter half. As well as raising plenty of funds, they also each have some great book recommendations following the Readathon, Rebecca’s favourite book was Before the Coffee Gets Cold which is heart-warming but sad book about second chances.
Jodie gave five stars to The Silent Patient which is a thriller with a plot twist you won’t guess.
And Millie’s favourite was The Appeal which is a multi-media murder mystery where the reader is challenged to beat the book and find out who-dunnit!
The group said:
“We are really proud that we were lucky enough to raise so much money for some really good causes and couldn’t have done it without our lovely colleagues at Paycare, and our families and friends who have been really generous with their donations.
“Reading for 24 hours was tough but totally worth it to think that there are some children in our local area who will enjoy Christmas because of the presents we were able to buy or the Winter Wonderland we were able to sponsor.”
Miranda Williams, head of public fundraising for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said:
“Being in hospital can be tough for our kids and even more so during Christmas, when others are out having fun. By sponsoring our wards, our Magic Makers help us ensure our patients still experience the excitement of Christmas, whether that’s by creating a festive environment filled with decorations, providing entertainment during their stay, or making sure they wake up on Christmas day with a present at their bedside.
“We’re so thankful to the ladies for their wonderful fundraising efforts, and to Paycare for supporting them in becoming Magic Makers.”
Well done girls – we’re so proud of you!
You can watch the FULL mini vlog of the girls’ 24 hour read-a-thon here 🧡
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Paycare’s mission is to support the health and happiness of the UK through a range of Health Cash Plans designed to ease financial pressure and promote a proactive approach to wellbeing. Find out more about our Plans for individuals here, or our Plans for organisations here.
As a not-for-profit, we’ve been investing in our communities since 1874, so you can rest assured you’re not only supporting yourself and your family – you’re also positively impacting the health and happiness of others too. Find out more about our ethos and history here.