Local Mum Helen Smith spoke to the members of the local Rotary Club last week about her new charity “Evelyn’s Gift”. She was accompanied by Nick Shacklock of the local Community First responders.

Helen’s 7 year old daughter Evelyn died in 2013. A popular pupil at Coten End School, she was full of beans, and wanted her mummy to “Be Happy”.

Helen started off remembering Evelyn by making small gifts of kindness, helping her school buy a defibrillator, sending over 200 girls’ dresses out to poor children in northern Peru, and sending gift bags to the local women’s refuge.

However once parents at Coten End school had received CPR training from the Community First responders, demand snowballed. Now working with Waterside Medical centre and money from the Council’s community fund, they are trying to train local people to improve cardiac arrest survival.

In January Evelyn’s Gift was set up as a charity with the objectives of carrying out little acts of kindness; to help homeless, young people and those suffering Domestic violence; offering bereavement services to parents who lose young children, and promoting CPR and lifesaving skills in schools.

Thanking Helen and Nick Rotarian Jackie Crampton said the club is keen to see more local people trained to save lives with CPR, and for more public defibrillators. President Jon Wassall wished her well and presented a cheque towards her work.
Further information can be found on their Facebook page.