Cash for Your Community: Money helped create memorial garden

Kerry and Ivan Mornington were awarded £2,632 after collecting 10,685 tokens for Violets in Bloom, a charity they set up designed to help parents cope with the loss of a child.

They established the charity after their daughter Violet died of a rare illness aged just five.

As the entrants are finalised and the token rush begins, the Express & Star looks at some of last year's winners and how they spent their cash grants.

Willenhall Trinity Bowls Club, which collected nearly 15,000 tokens and won £3,218 in last year's competition, put the money toward renovating the club. This renovation included a new ceiling, wall and extra shelves. They have even re-framed and put up old photos of members on the clubhouse wall.

Small Wonders Stay and Play Group, which collected 9,633 tokens and won £1,471, put the money toward opening a sensory play room. The group allows toddlers to meet new friends whilst combining it with learning. A total of 180 toddlers attend the group run by 30 volunteers.

Portobello Community Association, which collected 8,694 tokens and won £1,328.28, put the money towards maintaining the Portobello community centre.

The centre is a hub for the community that consists of a hall, small meeting room and kitchen. .

Substance Matters, which collected 8,655 tokens and won £1,322,32, put the money toward the general running of the support group. It offers a drop-in service three days as week as well as cooked meals, washing facilities, and advice and support for people with drug problems.

Circle of Friends Shelfield, which collected 6,353 tokens and won £970.62, put the money toward expanding the group.

The support group, launched in 2013, helps people with learning difficulties in Pelsall and Shelfield. The group meets weekly at St Marks Church Hall in Green Lane and sees teenagers and adults with learning difficulties taking part in various activities.

Black Country Rebels, which collected 5,739 tokens and won £876, put the money toward laying a new dance floor in their Brierley Hill studio. The group spent the remainder of the cash on advanced coaching for the dancers as well as on a dance competition in April, where the teams performed well.

Central Youth Theatre, which collected 5,127 tokens and won £783.31, put the money toward opening a new base in Lichfield Street. The group has worked in the city for over 30 years and provides theatrical training and practical work experience to youngsters.

Pedmore Cricket Club, which collected 4,750 tokens and won £725.71, put the money toward new pitch covers.

The money they received from has gone towards a memorial garden project within the grounds of Lichfield and District Crematorium in Fradley.

Mrs Mornington said: "The information about the charity has trickled out now and that's thanks to the Express & Star and Cash For Your Community. We have reached out to far and beyond what we could have ever expected.

"A relative of mine said they were talking to a teacher at a school in Walsall about Violets in Bloom and they said they had heard of us – and we're based in Lichfield.

"The money has allowed us to move the charity forward and put some fantastic fundraising events on, including our annual fun run which we held in June.

"We have also been able to help other families in the area to fund headstones for their children. They are not cheap and it's one of those things we always wanted to do when we set the charity up. Headstones are expensive and children deserve the best."

Mrs Mornington has advised fundraisers bidding for a slice of this year's £30,000 that hard work will pay off.

She said: "I would say you get out what you put in. The more work you put in and the more you spread the word the more you will get out of the scheme. It was harder for us and we weren't in the circulation area so we had to do more legwork. It's about working hard to get to the right people. Keep your cause on Twitter, keep it on Facebook. It's really exciting and the day of the presentation is really lovely. It's quite nerve racking as well, as you don't who has won until the day.

"Its an opportunity. What's the point of applying if you're just going to sit around with your fingers crossed?"

The Peter Pan themed garden, designed in memory of Violet, was due to open earlier in the year but hit a planning permission snag. It was then due to open next month but because of copyright issues over a Peter Pan statue there have been further delays.

Mrs Mornington is now hoping it will be open in early 2016.

She said: "We have had some delays unfortunately. We have had to wait because of the copyright problems, but we are working hard to get it all sorted."

Violet died in 2013, aged just five years-old after contracting the rare condition Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis, as a result of Epstein Barr Virus associated Hodgkins Lymphoma. She attended Animal Crackers nursery and then started school in September 2012 at St Stephens in Fradley.

A single was released in memory of Violet, titled For Those (We've Loved and Lost), which was put together by members of her family

A tribute to her on the website violetsinbloom.org reads: "Violet will be remembered and loved by everyone who knew her for her sense of humour, her beautiful smile, her strong personality, for her individuality and for the amazing courage and bravery she showed during her illness."