69 children and 14 members of staff at a nursery and preschool in East Finchley have raised more than £2500 for the charity Make-A-Wish UK. The Learning Experience East Finchley hopes to raise even more money for the charity on World Wish Day (April 29th), which commemorates the first wish ever granted for a child living with a critical condition.
‘The new word that we’ve taught our children through our characters Grace Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua is philanthropy,’ said 33-year-old Chantelle Gudgeon, Centre Manager at The Learning Experience East Finchley. ‘It’s all about giving back to the community, and the children that Make-A-Wish support are in every community. Our brand mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of our children, their families and the communities we serve.’
Make-A-Wish UK is part of a global movement, established in the UK in 1986, to create life-changing wishes for children aged 3-17 who are living with a critical condition. Six-year-old Sophia, from Harrow, was granted her wish to ‘have lots and lots of chocolate’ by the charity in October 2021, having been diagnosed with heart failure at 10 weeks.
‘We showed the children Sophia’s wish video,’ said Chantelle. ‘It’s been a really good way of talking about illness with the children, especially our pre-school rooms. When we first started talking about Make-A-Wish UK, they kept asking if the children could come and play with them, so that they could be happy with us.’
