A charity which brightens the lives of children with life limiting illnesses has received a top award.
The Neston based Northern Lights Children’s Charity has received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2015
The award, announced by Buckingham Palace, is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
Northern Lights were nominated for their volunteer work in the community since its founding. The charity was assessed by representatives of the Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire on the benefits the charity brings to the local community and its standing.
Northern Lights raises funds to give ill children the unique experience of a very special holiday they will never forget.
Lapland visit
Every December it takes a group of youngsters, aged between 6 and 11, on a five-day holiday to the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland to meet Father Christmas.
Alan Johnson, the group’s secretary and father of Christopher in whose memory the charity was created, said: “The holidays provided by Northern Lights give the children an opportunity to forget, albeit for a short while, about their health problems.
“It’s great to watch their faces light up with pleasure as they are being whisked along on sleds pulled by huskies, driven around on snowmobiles, pulled in sleds by reindeer, tobogganing and being presented with presents by the ‘real’ Santa.
“Something about the time spent in Lapland seems to give them renewed strength to carry on fighting their own particular illnesses.
“Consultants often ask ‘what do you do whilst in Lapland’ because the children often come back more confident and independent.
“In truth, we do not know, but these holidays seem to provide a useful component in the treatment of these awful illnesses and as a charity we are very proud to have played a small part in this role and delighted to have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.”
Karen Jones, chairman and founding member of Northern Lights, said: “We are honoured and delighted to have been acknowledged for our work within the local community benefiting children with life limiting illnesses in the North West of England.
“When the charity was founded in 1987 as the Christopher Johnson Fund, we had no idea that nearly 30 years later we would still be sending children with life limiting illnesses on these wonderful holidays.
“I would like to thank the committee members of Northern Lights both past and present for their tireless work in raising funds and for all the support we have received from everyone in Neston and the local community together with all our supporters county wide.”
