Dalton: girls raise £110 for St Mary's Hospice by selling bracelets

The kind-hearted girls are sisters Hallie (10) and Ruby (7) Heywood and their neighbours Neveah Barker (10) and Isla Phillipson (7). Hallie and Ruby's mum Emma Gore said that the group came up with the idea 'themselves.' "They were bored one weekend," she said. "They said they wanted to make a little shop outside." 

The girls were offered a job volunteering at St Mary's Hospice when they turn 18 (Image: Submitted) The girls used Loom bands and 'hand made every single one' of the bracelets. 

"It took three full weekends and a few evenings after school" to make them. 

According to Emma the enterprising friends were initially disappointed when they spent a full weekend making bracelets and they only sold two. However once they started moving around Lord Street in Dalton they made a 'good amount of money' for charity. 

They have now set their sights on bringing Storey Square play park back into Dalton (Image: Submitted) Although none of the family have had a direct experience of using the hospice's services, Emma said that her mum had cancer which may have been where the idea came from. 

"They want to help people suffering with cancer," she said. 

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When the girls delivered the money to the St Mary's Hospice shop on Market Street, they were offered a job when they turned 18 doing volunteer work. 

Emma described them as 'really kind girls' who have since received interest from other charities. The Royal British legion asked if they would make more bracelets for them, Emma said.

Some of the bracelets the girls made (Image: Submitted)

"I couldn't believe how generous the people of Dalton have been," she said.

In terms of the future, Emma said that the girls were interesting in fundraising for a campaign to bring back Storey Square park in Dalton, which Hallie enjoyed using when she was younger but Ruby was too little to experience it. 

The play park was dismantled in 2018 as part of budget cuts under the then Barrow Borough Council.

Councillor Dave Pidduck, who was leader at the time, said: "The decisions was made two years ago when we looked at the council budget.

"I would love to fund every play park in the borough but sadly the money is not there to do so.”