Hollie Williams, a 12-yearold girl from Newton Aycliffe is asking members of the public to support her efforts to give something back to a charity that has supported her and her younger brother, Thomas, aged 8. Caudwell Children, the national charity that gives practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, provided Hollie, who has cystic fibrosis, with a specialist buggy and a dream holiday, to Florida, when she was younger.

And now Hollie, along with her mother Angela, aged 47, have organised a charity cake sale and raffle to pay back their debt of gratitude to the charity. The event will take place from 10:00am-1:30pm on Thursday 13th April at the Pioneering Care Centre. Angela said: “The charity selected our family to go on its Destination Dreams holiday, to Disney World, in Florida a few years ago. The trip, for children with life limiting conditions, was an amazing experience, something we would never have been able to do on our own. “We’ve also benefited from the charity’s Family Services programme which offers help and emotional support to families at times of crisis. We can’t thank the charity enough for what they’ve done for Hollie and Thomas, so we wanted to give a little back.”

Angela a keen cook says that she and Hollie are confident people will love their creative offerings. “We’re a real pair of Mary Berry wannabies! We’ve planned to bake some savouries, like cheese scones and a variety of quiches, to complement home-made chocolate fudge, chocolate brownies, salted caramel cake, delicate lemon cupcakes and a range of crispy cakes.” The pair have also organised an Easter raffle which will give ticket holders the chance to win an array of goodies, including Easter bunnies and delicious chocolate eggs.

Hollie, a pupil at Woodham Academy in Newton Aycliffe, understands how life-changing the support from Caudwell Children has been for her and her brother and she has committed herself to a number of fundraising events over the next few months. Businesses wishing to donate a raffle prize should contact Angela on 07501 464949.