Wake Smith helps dreams become reality for sick children

Wake Smith will spend the next 12 months raising money for Sheffield children’s charity Create a Dream Foundation.

The charity, which was set up in 2017, helps make the dreams of serious or terminally ill children in Sheffield and South Yorkshire come true by funding gifts and experiences.

Wake Smith hopes to smash last year’s total of £8,500 collected and have already begun staging and planning a host of fundraising events for CADF.

CADF founder and charity trustee Adam Ainger said: “We welcome Wake Smith to our essential team of fundraisers.

“Our aim is to provide support to children and their families during a child's illness, as well as ensuring that families are still able to make wonderful and long-lasting memories by making their child's dreams come true.

“Dealing with a life-threatening and terminal illness is heartbreaking for both a child and their families. This can often mean countless hospital stays, painful treatments and a loss of a childhood, something which most children take for granted.

“We understand that the dreams of each individual child can be as varied and fantastic as each child themselves.

“We aim to do all we can with our resources to make these dreams a reality, whether this be to visit their favourite place, receive their dream toy, meet their hero, or have an experience that they could only dream of. No matter the size of the dream, we will do what we can to make it come true.”

Kate Lax, solicitor at Wake Smith and charitable board member, said: “CADF was picked after a voting process involving all staff.

“We have the next 12 months to raise funds for the charity and are really looking forward to working with them to help make as many dreams as possible come true.”
 
The Wake Smith charitable board includes Kate Lax, Lorraine Slack, Bridie Mulgrew, Alison Gaddes, Abi Shortte, Laura Sanderson, Scott Haslam, Dean Goulding, Hayley Naisbett, Holly Abbott-Cragg, Jessica Rowbotham and Holly Dobson.

Last year the firm raised £8,500 for Weston Park Cancer Charity after holding fundraising events including dress down days, a staff bingo night, running the Sheffield 10k and Sheffield Half Marathon, Great British Bake Off-style cake sales, sweepstakes, competitions, a tuck shop, lunch club raffles and a quiz night.

The substantial donation meant in the last five years Wake Smith has raised an impressive £30,284.42 for deserving South Yorkshire charities.