BIG HEARTED shoppers and supermarket staff have helped a Chorley mum and her profoundly deaf little boy raise vital funds for a children\u2019s charity.<\/p>\n
Joanne Speakman, a sales assistant at Iceland in Market Walk shopping centre, organised a cake bake at the Chorley store and raised more than \u00a3300 for the National Deaf Children\u2019s Society(NDCS).<\/p>\n
The charity has been a constant source of advice and support to Joanne whose three-year-old son, Connor Whittaker, was diagnosed as profoundly deaf when he was just two weeks old.<\/p>\n
Connor communicates using a mixture of sign language and lip reading which he is very good at. He also has very well developed speech despite his disability.<\/p>\n
Joanne, 25, of Rivington Road, said: \u201cConnor is the only deaf person in my family and so it was a shock when we found out but I remember thinking to myself at the time that I came in with the same little boy and I am going out with the same little boy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have always tried to see it as a positive. A chance to learn something new and Connor copes amazingly with it all.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is such a happy and content child. He really does seem to take it all in his stride and never sees it as a problem. So we don\u2019t either and it doesn\u2019t stop him from having a go at anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
NDCS is the leading charity \u2018dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.\u2019<\/p>\n
One of its current national fundraising campaigns is the Big Cake Bake which aims to raise \u00a310,000.<\/p>\n
The charity supports around 45,000 deaf children and their families from diagnosis through to independence, offering impartial information and support in areas from audiology to education and social issues.<\/p>\n
Recently Joanne and Connor attended a weekend workshop event which gave Joanne lots of advice about school applications and considering which one is best for her son\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n
It is this invaluable support which has prompted Joanne to raise money for the charity which she couldn\u2019t have done without the support of her colleagues and customers.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWe are a bit of a family here at Iceland and my friends here were fantastic. All I did was put up a sign to say I was doing it and every single member of staff did something to help from making cakes to standing with me on the stall for six and a half hours selling them.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur customers were so generous too and I was pretty amazed when I counted up to find we raised \u00a3325.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also impressed was Market Walk marketing manager, Annalisa Johnson, who said: \u201cJoanne and her colleagues should be congratulated on their efforts for such a successful cake bake.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a brilliant cause made especially poignant by little Connor who is one of the children who benefits directly from this charity and I would like to thank our generous shoppers for supporting the event and helping to raise this terrific amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her thanks were echoed by Clare Salter, NDCS Corporate, Community and Events Manager, who said: \u201cWe are very grateful to Joanne and Connor for taking part in our Big Cake Bake<\/em> and raising money to support our vital work with deaf children.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery penny helps, and our \u00a310,000 target will help us to deliver weekends for families whose child has just been diagnosed as deaf.<\/p>\n \u201cThese weekends are a lifeline for many parents, providing them with emotional support and much-needed information about their child\u2019s deafness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe encourage other families in Chorley to sign up to our Big Cake Bake campaign and help us continue our work to break down barriers for deaf children.\u201d<\/p>\n To find out more about Market Walk shopping centre go to www.marketwalkchorley.co.uk<\/p>\n For more information on NDCS and the Big Cake Bake go to www.ndcs.org.uk\/bigcakebake<\/a><\/p>\n