Kind staff and families from a Brierley Hill-based day nursery have put the icing on the cake for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, after holding an afternoon tea for their tots and colleagues and raising £300 in memory of the much-loved sibling of a pupil.

The team at Early Years Day Nursery put on the tasty spread in aid of the charity, after hearing the devastating news that the big brother of a pupil had sadly passed away having lost his battle with cancer. Two-year-old Ashley has been attending the nursery since he was just around nine months old and over that time, the team got to know his seven-year-old brother Ben, who often came along with his mum to pick Ashley up at home time.

Ben had been having treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, so when the staff heard the tragic news of his passing, they racked their brains to come up with a way to honour his memory and raise money as a thank you for the care he received. They settled on holding an afternoon tea and called upon the tots’ families to help make all of the delicious cakes and sandwiches they would need for Ben’s event. They even pulled together a raffle to win a luxury hamper to help boost funds.

Tracey Wale, Deputy Manager at Early Years Day Nursery, said: “We were all absolutely devastated when we learnt that Ben had lost his battle.  Our hearts broke for little Ashley and his family but they had nothing but praise for the incredible care that Ben had received at Birmingham Children’s Hospital so we just wanted to do something to help them say  thank you.

“We had such an amazing response from all of our parents and families who helped to make afternoon tea possible and we’d just like to say how grateful we are for their support.”

Miranda Williams, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “It’s so humbling and wonderful to hear how this little community rallied around to show its support and fundraise for us in Ben’s memory. We’re so thankful to them, as every pound counts at the moment due to the impact COVID-19 has had on our fundraising income. The money Early Years Day Nursery have raised will go towards helping us do more for the sick kids who need our vital care now, and in the future.”

If you would like to donate to Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, please click here.