A Woldingham schoolgirl has raised over £700 for stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands, after selling home-made lemonade from her driveway.
Amelia Johnston, 9, came up with the idea in memory of her sister Emily, who was stillborn in 2011.
Mum Katie said:
“Out of the blue, Amelia asked if she could make a stand and sell lemonade. She then asked if she could donate the money to Sands, a charity which gave us huge support when our daughter was stillborn. Our children have always known about Emily, and it was very touching that Amelia wanted to do this. We are incredibly proud of her. And it was her own idea, which makes it all the more special.”
Constructing a stand with help from her dad, Amelia then painted it, purchased ingredients and made the lemonade herself. Katie put a notice on a local Facebook page about Amelia’s enterprise, and the family was surprised by how many people came by to buy a 50p cup of lemonade: Amelia even ran out of lemons, and had to send her dad out for more supplies!
Amelia feels great about her achievement:
“I wanted to raise money for Sands and I thought doing a lemonade stand would be a lot of fun. So many people from Woldingham came out to support me, and I had lots of online donations too, from family and friends. I feel very pleased with myself, and I feel good that Sands will have more money to help lots of other mums and dads.”
Sands works across the UK, supporting those affected by the death of a baby and helping to improve the care that bereaved parents receive. They also fund research into reducing infant deaths.
You can still donate to Amelia’s appeal by visiting her Just Giving page.
