Thatcham car wash soaks up funds

Schoolgirls raise £500 for children's hospice

A CAR wash organised by two Thatcham schoolgirls has raised hundreds of pounds towards a children's hospice.

Abbie George and Megan Thornley, two Year 8 pupils from Kennet School, were chosen as part of a group to take part in this year’s Tenner Challenge.

Pupils had to pitch their business ideas and received £10 from the Tenner Challenge Fund.

The businesses have a month to make as much profit as possible and the two girls chose to pass on any profit they made to the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice.

Abbie, whose sister is supported by the hospice and also attends Kennet School, joined her Wash your Wheels business partner Megan to arrange a car wash at the Kingsland Centre Car Park recently.

Scrubbing more than 30 cars, the girls, along their friends and family, raised £500.

Abbie’s mother, Sue George, said: “The highlight of the day was washing a two-week-old Aston Martin which had never been washed before. The owner said it was such good cause he couldn’t say no.

“Another lovely lady came with her car and said she had seen us car washing earlier and the reason we were doing it so went home and came back with her car.

“She’d lost her son to cystic fibrosis and wanted to help raise some money.

“The story made us all want to cry but the children helping suddenly saw first-hand what the hospice could do for local people”.

The Alexander Devine Hospice Service supports children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions in its homes across Berkshire.

It has secured land to build a children’s hospice in Woodlands Park near Maidenhead but needs to raise £5m for the project.

Director of care at Alexander Devine, Helen Bennett, said: “It was so exciting to support Abbie and her team with her inspiring car wash event.

“It is great that young people want to get involved in raising money for our charity.”

For more information about the hospice visit www.alexanderdevine.org