Aberdeenshire children's charity celebrates year of overwhelming support
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Aberdeenshire charity Kayleigh’s Wee Stars (KWS) is celebrating a year of overwhelming support, enabling it to provide financial assistance to families of children with a terminal illness.
This year the charity, which is based in Oldmeldrum, has provided grants of £90,250 to 56 families across Scotland.
This is a significant increase in comparison to the provision of £51,000 worth of grants in 2022.
The charity which was set up by Jonathan and Anna Cordiner after losing their two-year-old daughter Kayleigh to terminal illness, secured an impressive 17 corporate charity partners who have raised more than £100,000 this year.
This includes support from Apache North Sea’s offshore charity bond which donated £20,000 and Aberdeen International Airport which donated a total of £30,000 over the last two years.
Other support throughout the year includes grants from McDonalds in the Community who donated £20,000 to KWS, as well as donations from Seven Trades Widows Fund and Tartan Army Childrens Charity.
Fiona Heinonen, KWS CEO, said: “It has been an amazing year looking back on it all now, I can’t believe how lucky we have been.
"These figures don’t even include all the amazing fundraisers who jumped out of planes, ran marathons, organised walks, took part in Run Balmoral, Ride the North and of course our KWS flagship events.
"They really have all been fantastic, and it is so overwhelming to see all this support."
Earlier in the year, Kayleigh’s Wee Stars hosted its first Million Pound Ball where it raised more than £30,000 on the night, which marked the charity’s 10th year and the milestone of raising £1 million during that time.
Jonathan Cordiner, KWS co-founder and Kayleigh’s father, said: “It is so heartwarming that so many families have been supported this year through the important work of Kayleigh's Wee Stars, and we love that our little girl's legacy continues to make a difference for others.
"The money raised this year provides vital financial support to families with a child with a terminal diagnosis.
"We would like to thank everyone who has helped us this year through fundraising events, individual donations and our corporate partners. We never cease to be amazed by the generosity of our supporters.”
Kayleigh’s Wee Stars is continuing to look for corporate support for 2024.
Anyone who is interested, can get in contact with CEO Fiona Heinonen at fiona@kayleighsweestars.co.uk
Learn more about Kayleigh’s Wee Stars at www.kayleighsweestars.co.uk
The charity was set up in 2012 by Jonathan and Anna Cordiner after losing their two-year-old daughter Kayleigh to terminal illness.
The charity provides financial support for families where a child has a terminal illness.
It has raised more than £1 million and helped hundreds of families since it was established.
Kayleigh’s Wee Stars is solely funded through fundraising from its own events, opportunities to participate in additional events as an affiliated charity, and from people choosing to fundraise for the charity through a variety of means – whether a sporting event, work or school-based challenges or memorial collections.
