Generous shop customers have dug deep and raised more than £7,000 as part of a successful retail campaign organised by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The ‘Help paint a smile’ initiative was rolled out in EACH’s 54 stores across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk at the beginning of December.
When paying at the till, customers had the option to donate an extra 25p, and the target was to raise £25 at every shop during each week of the month.
That would be enough to fund a session of art therapy every week for six months, and, after raising £1,075 in the final week, the overall total was a whopping £7,003 – smashing the original target of £5,400.
“We’re incredibly proud of our customers and retail teams,” said Genine Woodcock, EACH’s Retail Central Support Manager.
“It was moving to see how strongly our communities responded. It shows that when people understand where their donation is going, they really step up to make a difference.
“This campaign didn’t just meet expectations – it smashed them, and the funds raised will have a direct impact on the children and families receiving our care.
“Thanks to our customers’ generosity, we can now fund vital art therapy sessions that help them express themselves, process complex emotions and simply enjoy being creative in a safe space.”
The final total was boosted by a strong final-week performance by EACH’s shops in Bury St Edmunds, Hadleigh, Huntingdon and Castle Street, Norwich. Castle Street customers also raised the most overall during the four-week campaign.
The ‘Help paint a smile’ campaign followed two other successful retail donation initiatives – Help Hydrotherapy Happen, which raised £11,400, and Let’s Drum Up Funds, which brought in £8,500.
