AN EVENT organiser is pleased to have raised money to add some joy to the lives of care home residents.

Cheryl Hutchinson, who runs CH Events, raised £427 for Haydon View residential care home at her Christmas fair at Haydon Bridge community centre on December 9.

Since starting the company in 2018, Cheryl, from Haydon Bridge, believes the business and 'trading community' has grown into something even she could not have imagined, and is pleased that an idea to help her business has helped others as well.

Speaking about the Christmas fair, she said: "This is our second time doing an event for the residential care home but CH Events is a small family-run business and each year we try to do a fundraiser at Christmas.

"We’ve previously fundraised for Tynedale Hospice at home and McMillan as they helped look after my Dad when he was dying with cancer.

"We choose something close to our hearts each year and for the last two years it’s been the nursing home as Mum lived there.

"My mum Margaret had dementia and lived at the home for around three years. She unfortunately passed away in January but we still wanted to go ahead with the fundraiser in her honour.

"It’s always a struggle for residential homes to pay for entertainment for the residents and the care staff do a great job trying to raise funds but we wanted to help them.

"Our 20 local traders came along with beautiful gifts and crafts, there was a cake stall and lucky squares. We had a lovely day and raised £427 for the entertainment fund.

"I’m sure my Mum would love that her friends at the home can enjoy some fun things in the new year.

"I am pleased with the amount that we raised but we raised over £500 last year, so I hoped it would be around that but with the cost of living crisis it’s hard to tell.

"Our traders paid stall fees that went to the fund as well, so we are very grateful for their support."