Hotel tree helps make dreams come true

Baubles featuring the names of loved ones have been put on a Christmas tree at a hotel as part of a project to help make children’s dreams come true.

Hotel managing director Scott Bernard (left) with Promise Dreams trustee Suresh Bawa next to the Christmas tree where the baubles have been placed.

People have been asked to sponsor the decorations for £5 or £10 on the large tree at The Mount Hotel in Tettenhall in aid of the Promise Dreams charity.

The charity, based in Wolverhampton, aims to help make the dreams of children who are seriously or terminally-ill into a reality for them and their family.

And the project has been backed by more than 100 people and families – with around £5,500 being raised so far, enough to help five or six children.

Charity trustee Suresh Bawa said it was a “really massive achievement” and he thanked everyone who had came forward to help them raise vital funds.

He said: “This donation so far will allow us to help five or six children.

"We’ve got a waiting list – because dreams don’t stop because of lockdown – and in certain cases they are even more acute because children are stuck at home.

"They can’t go out and in some cases they can’t go to medical appointments – it’s a difficult time for them and their families.

“But now we’ve got five or six families now who will have a phone call, pre-Christmas, to say ‘your dream will be fulfilled’.

“While it’s only five or six, if you look at the backdrop of all of this it’s a really massive achievement – it’s exceeded my expectations which is a great thing. People have donated up to £500.

“And it’s just fantastic that this small idea has brought people together. The £5,000 feels like £50,000 to us because it’s massive to us. it shows that even in these tough times people still want to give – there’s still a heart out there.”

Mr Bawa said he and Scott Bernard, managing director of The Mount Hotel, came up with the idea.

It came after large fundraising events had to be cancelled, including a gala dinner which raises tens of thousands of pounds, due to the pandemic. He added: “The idea came to approach some of the people who attend our charity events and ask them to put £10 or £5, take a bauble and put it on the tree for a special someone.”

Mr Bernard added: “It was great to be able to do something positive – amid all the negativity – and to support some children’s dreams. Normally we would have 15 to 20 charity nights, so it’s good to do something and it’s a novel idea really.”