Raising plenty of ‘bucks’ for a worthy cause

Staff and students at Tameside College have raised nearly £600 for the ‘Lotties Little Legs’ campaign, with an American themed evening in the college’s Reflections restaurant.

The event, which was hosted by teachers Hayley Barclay and John Holden, alongside hospitality and catering students, raised £576 for Lottie Simpson, aged three, who has diplegic cerebral palsy.

Lottie cannot walk unaided or without her walking frame as the condition affects the muscles in her legs. Her parents decided to set up the ‘Lotties Little Legs’ fundraising campaign after they were told about an operation costing £60,000 which could allow her to walk without help.

Members of the public and Lottie’s family members were invited to the event to sample a menu including: Louisiana sweetcorn chowder, Texas pulled pork, chicken Maryland, New York cheesecake and cookies.

Lottie and her family visited the college after the event to thank the staff and students and to collect the charity cheque.

Vicky Waite, Lottie’s mum, said: “Myself and Lottie would like to say a big thank you to Tameside College for helping to raise money for her operation. It’s a great gesture and we really appreciate it. I used to work with Hayley in the college’s nursery, so to have her and other students and staff do this for us makes me feel like part of the college family again.”

Hayley Barclay, teacher in supporting teaching and learning, said: “We are all one big family at Tameside College and even when members of staff leave we stay in touch and support each other, so it was something I felt we needed to do. Everyone who came to the event had loads of fun and we took a dent out of the £60,000 target in the process so I’m happy with that. Thank you to everyone that came along.”

To donate to ‘Lotties Little Legs’ you can visit her JustGiving page here