Edna Liddicoat, known as ‘the Chick Lady’ or Nan, has given £3,018 to the Merlin Neuro Therapy Centre’s new fundraising appeal, Every Step Counts.
This appeal aims to raise money to buy important therapy equipment.
In the months before Christmas, Edna and her helpers knit and sell small, chocolate-filled snowmen and Santas in shops across Cornwall.
The knits, which sell for £1.50 each, raise money for the charity, which helps people with neurological conditions and neurodiversities.
Edna’s fundraising efforts began with her granddaughter, Karen, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at 33.
Karen was a strong supporter of Merlin and a regular visitor to the centre when it opened in 2009.
Sadly, Karen died in 2014 at the age of 44.
Knowing how much the charity meant to her granddaughter, Edna promised to continue fundraising in her memory.
She said: “Every penny I have ever raised has been for Karen.
“She had regular sessions in the centre’s therapy gym and I know how much this supported her, which is why I want the money I raise to help support others in her position.”
Edna and her family have raised nearly £115,000 for the charity so far, helping to fund many pieces of equipment for the centre’s therapy gym, which is named the Karen Medlyn Suite in memory of Edna’s granddaughter.
The Every Step Counts appeal is the charity’s biggest fundraising effort so far, aiming to raise £50,000 to replace the current anti-gravity treadmill and two Thera-Trainer exercise bikes.
With a successful grant application and Edna’s generous donation, the current fundraising total stands at £33,325.
As the centre does not receive any government or NHS funding, much of the charity’s income relies on fundraising and community support.
To find out more about the appeal, make a donation, or get involved in fundraising, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/p/every-step-counts.