Easter bonnet efforts continue
The coronavirus pandemic has not stopped a creative mother from using her skills to make fundraising Easter bonnets.
Kellie Bates from Lower Gornal has been making Easter bonnets over the last six years, raising more than £5,000 for the Williams Syndrome Foundation after her son Matthew was diagnosed with the syndrome at 16-weeks-old.
The 40-year-old said that despite the lockdown restrictions and uncertainty around schools reopening, she had been able to start making bonnets as Easter drew nearer.
She said: “When I started in January, I didn’t know how busy I was going to be because of lockdown and all the issues around Covid and lots of schools not have Easter parades.
"However, there’s still be a few which have gone ahead, with customers ringing me to tell me that parades are going ahead inside their classroom or year group bubbles in the classrooms.
“In the last week, I have been a little bit busy, which has been lovely, and I have sold 40 bonnets, which is honestly 40 more than I thought I would sell this year.”
Mrs Bates said she sells her bonnets primarily through her Facebook page ‘Kel’s Easter bonnets’, and has national and international interest, with a lot of people wanting bespoke bonnets.
She said that this year, the focus was more on making the bonnets as and when the demand was needed, saying that whatever she makes, she makes and she wanted to raise up to £200 for the foundation.
She said: “Last year, I made 450 bonnets and that was a little bit lower than previous years because of lockdown, so I’ve just been taking it as it comes this year.
“I love doing it though and I do it because of Matthew and the charity, plus it has grown from being a hobby to something much bigger.
“I can’t thank the people who have helped me this year enough.”
To find out more about the bonnets and to make an order, go to facebook.com/groups/412903198875826
