Generous shoppers across East Anglia have helped to paint smiles on the faces of children and families by raising a fantastic sum for a vital hospice service.
Campaign Smashes Fundraising Target
The 'Help paint a smile' initiative, organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), asked customers in its 54 stores to add a 25p donation at the till throughout December. The ambitious goal was to raise £25 per shop each week, which would fund a weekly art therapy session for six months.
In a remarkable show of community spirit, the campaign not only met but smashed its original £5,400 target, raising a final total of £7,003. The final week alone saw an impressive £1,075 donated.
Vital Funds for Creative Expression
Genine Woodcock, EACH’s Retail Central Support Manager, expressed immense pride in the result. "We’re incredibly proud of our customers and retail teams," she said. "It was moving to see how strongly our communities responded. It shows that when people understand where their donation is going, they really step up to make a difference."
The funds raised will have a direct and meaningful impact. "Thanks to our customers’ generosity, we can now fund vital art therapy sessions that help them express themselves, process complex emotions and simply enjoy being creative in a safe space," Woodcock added.
Community Shops Lead the Way
The final fundraising push was significantly boosted by strong performances in the last week from EACH shops in Bury St Edmunds, Hadleigh, Huntingdon and Castle Street, Norwich. Notably, the Castle Street store also raised the most money overall throughout the entire four-week campaign.
This successful initiative follows two other recent EACH retail campaigns:
- 'Help Hydrotherapy Happen', which raised £11,400.
- 'Let’s Drum Up Funds', which brought in £8,500.
The 'Help paint a smile' campaign ran in EACH stores across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, demonstrating widespread regional support for the children's hospice charity.
