Easter crafts appeal for children’s hospice

Two of our East Midlands self-storage centres have joined forces to make it a happy Easter for children being cared for in a local hospice.

Store First’s Nottingham and Derby storage centres are appealing to staff, customers and the general public to donate Easter-related materials for arts and crafts, as well as chocolate eggs.

Donated items will be hand-delivered by Store First staff to Rainbows, the East Midlands’ only hospice for children and young people, which is situated in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

And other businesses can get involved too. The hospice is encouraging all companies to invite staff, customers and contacts to donate gifts to be passed on to children.

What you can donate

Of all suggested gift items, Store First is focusing its appeal on Easter crafts, as only 1 in 10 of Rainbows’ young residents can eat chocolate, due to dietary and medical restrictions. Any chocolate eggs donated will be enjoyed by those children who can consume them, given as gifts to families and care teams or used as raffle prizes.

Rainbows’ website reads: “Chocolate lasts a moment - help us to make memories that last a lifetime.”

Leeann Valerga, Nottingham’s Store First centre manager, said: “As a mum myself I wanted to organise something special for Easter which would bring smiles to some young faces. Children who are cared for at Rainbows are experiencing such challenging times, we were pleased to be able to play a small part in brightening their day.”

Scott Whyman, store manager at Derby’s Store First centre, said: “We encourage all of our loyal self-storage customers to donate something to this incredibly worthy cause. Both of our East Midlands centres, in Derby and Kirkby in Ashfield are drop-off points for the appeal and Leeann and I plan to hand-deliver the items just after Easter.”

Where to buy arts and crafts for children

Anyone looking for ideas on what to donate can visit specialist websites, where individual craft kits and packs are available to purchase for a minimal cost. An example of these can be found here: http://www.bakerross.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/easter

About Rainbows Hospice

Rainbows cares for children with life limiting illnesses and supports their families. It offers children and their families a place to play, spend time with their loved ones and receive care and support.

Drop off your donated items at dedicated “Donation Stations”:

• Store First Derby on Riverside Road, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8HY
• Store First Nottingham on Observatory Road, Lowmoor Road, Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham, NG17 7RD.