Series of Christmas baubles by Walton-le-Dale carpenter helps out Rosemere Cancer Foundation

Craft carpenter John Rose, who has been uniting families worldwide with his made in Preston wooden Christmas baubles, brought some early festive cheer to Rosemere Cancer Foundation when he presented the charity with a cheque for £1,023.50.

John, who lives in Walton-le-Dale with girlfriend Charlotte, has sold thousands of his hand-made baubles, which can be personalised or feature one of his own inspirational messages, since he began making them back in October.

Many have been sent across the globe to enable families that cannot be together this year because of the coronavirus pandemic to at least maintain a Christmas bond by sharing the same tree decorations.

For each bauble sold, John has donated 50p from its £3 price tag to Rosemere Cancer Foundation in tribute to his late beloved mum Janet for care and treatment she received earlier in the year at Rosemere Cancer Centre after she was diagnosed with the disease.

Many of the baubles have a very Covid-19 theme — One of Johns handmade baubles

It was following her death at the start of the March lockdown that John, a former insurance broker, turned to woodwork to find comfort and solace but after successfully designing and making a foldable outdoor garden bar that quickly became much in demand, John decided to make his hobby into his career and launched John Rose Woodwork.

John said: “My mum was a wonderful woman. She would do anything for anyone. This is my way of following in her footsteps and giving back.”

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Dan Hill, chief officer of Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “We are very grateful to John for his very generous donation. He is a great guy and we wish him every success in his new business.”

To find out more about John’s work, including how to order baubles, visit his Facebook page at John Rose Woodwork or email him at sales@johnrosewoodwork.co.uk.

Proud Preston. This, and many stories like it, show how the people of Preston are making a difference. Our Proud Preston section showcases all the charitable, kind, uplifting and great things about our city and the people who live here. #ProudPreston is alive and well, and there’s much to celebrate and be proud of, despite the challenging times we all face.

Have you bought a Preston bauble? Let us know in the comments below