When Blue Peter announced their 1997 BreatheEasy appeal in November, I sent off for my Bring and Buy pack straightaway. Two days later, at church, I booked the Methodist Church Hall for December 6th. Many friends offered to help, and I put posters up all over Chessington. I used all the official BP ones, so I printed out my own.

I visited lots of local shops, many of which supported the Appeal by donating prizes for the raffle.

The hardest work, I think, is pricing up the donations. People gave me items at school, and brought them to my house. We priced up as much as possible, and we set the tables up in the church hall the night before the sale.

December 6th arrived, and the weather was fabulous - not as cold as December usually is, so we thought there would be lots of people. Unfortunately, three local schools chose to have their Christmas Fairs on the same day.

Compared with last year's sale, there didn't seem to be as many people - but the flow was slow and steady, rather than everyone rushing in at opening time.

We had two very special guests: many thanks to them for their support.

Here is a  picture of some of the bringers and buyers:

Altogether, we raised £225 (which is the same as last year, even though it wasn't as busy).

As usual Blue Peter viewers raised over and above the original target of £500,000. Congratulations!

 Go back to Jenny's Page or have a look at Blue Peter's own Website

THE BLUE PETER BreatheEasy APPEAL

This years Blue Peter Appeal Bring & Buy Sales aim to raise money for sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis in Britain.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common, life-threatening inherited disease in the UK and affects more than 7,000 children and adults.

CF claims the lives of three people every week in the UK and as yet there is no cure.

CF is caused by a single defective gene and results in a thick sticky mucus which clogs the lungs, making it difficult to breathe, and reduces the body's ability to digest food. This mucus may also damage other major organs such as the pancreas and liver.People with CF face a strict daily regime of physiotherapy and medication just to survive.

The Blue Peter BreatheEasy Appeal has an initial target of £500,000 to fund:

* portable nebulisers and oxygen kits, and mini-trampolines to aid physiotherapy at home helping to improve the lives of 150 children around Britain

* a Cystic Fibrosis Trust Day Care Centre in Manchester

* two special mobile nurses - one in Wales and one in the Scottish Highlands - funded for three years

Every single penny raised will make a difference - together we can help to improve the lives of children in Britain who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis.

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 Go back to Jenny's Page or have a look at Blue Peter's own Website