Somerset business raises vital funds to support children’s charity

Baby Bee Crafty in Burnham-on-Sea has raised vital funds to support the Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA), helping to save the lives of critically ill babies and children across the UK.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from local hospitals to specialist paediatric and neonatal treatment centres via the clinically designed helicopters which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

The Baby Bee Crafty store on College Street opened its doors in 2019, with owner Lynn Gibbons selling a variety of new and second-hand baby clothing, cots and crafts.

In 2023 the store began raising funds for the children’s charity by hosting a collection tin. The support then continued during the Burnham-on-Sea food festival, where Lynn’s husband parked his vintage car outside the store and asked for donations to the charity in return for a photo with the car.

Lynn also held a variety of raffles throughout the year and created worry worms to be sold in her store and other stores in Burnham-on-Sea to raise further funds.

In total, Baby Bee Crafty raised a fantastic £586.57 in 2023 and is continuing to support the Children’s Air Ambulance in 2024.

“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to raise vital funds to support the Children’s Air Ambulance, and I can’t wait to continue to support them during 2024,” said Lynn Gibbons, owner of Baby Bee Crafty.

The children’s charity works alongside 11 NHS Clinical Partner Teams across the UK, including the Southwest Neonatal Advice and Retrieval (SoNAR), based at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trusts Neonatal Intensive Care Units and the Wales and West Acute Transport for Children (WATCh) Retrieval Team are based at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children – so support from local businesses like Lynn’s is vital.

Community Fundraising Executive for the charity, Fiona Franklin, said:

“We would like to thank Lynn and Baby Bee Crafty for raising vital funds to support our lifesaving missions for critically ill babies and children across the UK and for continuing to support our charity in 2024.”

“Without support from the local community and businesses, our high-speed transfers wouldn’t be able to continue. We receive no government or National Lottery funding so every penny raised will help us raise the £3,600 needed to keep our helicopters flying.”

If you’d like to get involved in fundraising to support the children’s charity, please get in touch with the Community Fundraiser in your local area – https://theairambulanceservice.org.uk/our-work/team-crew/#community-fundraisers 

To learn more, or to support the charity, please visit: www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.