How this Preston events organiser will help local charities recover in 2021

Sarah Williams, pictured here with her husband, has plenty of events lined up for 2021

A Preston events organiser is using her 2021 calendar to help local charities recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sarah Williams of Fairydust Events has organised a series of fundraising events that are set to take place on the first Saturday of each month from May.

Money raised will go to Age Concern Central Lancashire and North West Air Ambulance.

Sarah said: “The pandemic has hit charities hard, with their fundraising and income seriously reduced and demand for services increasing.

“Here at Fairydust, we are wanting to assist as much as we can safely with our events.

“At each event we have a charity raffle, and on bigger occasions we will also have our charity auction with prizes such as hotel stays up for grabs.

“Support has always been amazing, and we can’t thank local businesses enough for donating their time and prizes.”

The first event is set to be a Gift and Craft Fayre at Grimsargh Village Hall on Saturday 1 May. Then follows:

Psychic Night and Spirit to Spirit at Norman Jepson Beefeater
Ladies Night at RIVA Showbar
Family Fun Days with fairground, DJ, stalls, special guests and more at Anderton Arms, Ancient Oak and Broadfield Arms
Discounted Shopping Event at Norman Jepson Beefeater
Wedding Fayre at Hallmark Hotel
Preston Rocks at RIVA Showbar

Fairydust Events’ chosen charities have expressed their gratitude for the fundraising.

Age Concern Central Lancashire is the local older people charity in Lancashire, and this year is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary.

Suzanne Carr, chief executive of Age Concern Central Lancashire, says the charity has been badly impacted by Covid-19, with closure of retail stores resulting in a 50 per cent loss in income.

Jennifer Barry, regional fundraiser at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Every day, our crew make a lifesaving difference to people across the North West.

“We’re entirely charity-funded and rely on our fantastic fundraisers, just like the team at Fairydust Events, to raise vital funds to ensure we can continue flying to save lives. Thank you so much to you all.”

Sarah added: “In 2019 we raised over £3,000 and we would love to smash that this year, especially after the awful year of 2020.

“Now we just need visitors to our events to keep the momentum up and get us ready for a very busy 2021!”

To find out more about the upcoming calendar of events, visit the Fairydust Events website.

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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.

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