This year we decided to support a new charity, inspired by a man called Chris Lamb from St Helens, who has made it his quest to collect Terrys Chocolate Oranges so that they can be given to our fabulous NHS workers! Terry's son sadly died just before Christmas in 2010 and this was his motivation for starting this charity collection.
Read about Chris and his son, Elliott here: St Helens Chocolate Orange Man sets off to hand out more than 7,000 treats - Liverpool Echo
Elliott was afflicted with Congenital Cytomegalovirus, which meant he spent much of his short life in the hospital. During Christmas 2008, while Elliott battled pneumonia, I gave a chocolate orange to one of his physiotherapists as a token of appreciation. When word spread about this gesture, I found myself purchasing more to thank all the healthcare workers caring for him. As I shared this story with others, they too began buying chocolate oranges for me to distribute. When Elliott passed away just before Christmas in 2010 at the age of 4, I didn't want to celebrate anymore. I didn’t believe there was a future. Over time, however, I found new ways to cope with his loss and decided to honour his memory positively. Elliott's resilience and impact on my life shifted my focus to helping others, practising kindness, and being grateful each day. Approaching the first anniversary of his passing, I launched an appeal to collect as many chocolate oranges as possible for the following Christmas, aiming to thank those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.
We have been absolutely amazed at the generosity of our school community, with a total of 318 oranges donated.
Thank you to everyone who has been so very kind donating to our Christmas charities this year - your help and support is very much appreciated.
