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Easter Egg-citement!

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:30:35 GMT

I'm back, delivering Easter eggs this time!

Eleven-year-old Marnie Wadlow shares Easter spirit by giving eggs to families in Derby

A KIND-HEARTED schoolgirl who bought and delivered Christmas meals to families in Derby feeling the pinch is asking for donations of chocolate eggs to distribute over Easter.

Eleven-year-old Marnie Wadlow is hoping to give away 50 eggs to local children. The caring youngster, from Chellaston, started doing giveaways in December 2020 when she realised that, due to the pandemic, some families couldn’t afford certain celebrations like Christmas and Easter.

She is asking for local businesses to get involved and will deliver the chocolate goodies over the Easter holidays. Individuals can nominate youngsters to receive an egg online.

Marnie said: “I love meeting new people and seeing them happy with the bag of goodies I have for them is just the icing on top. My mum has always told me to be kind and think of others from a very young age, and that’s what I like to do.

“The people of Derby have been generous so far, but I would love to be able to give out more eggs.”

Marnie won a Derbyshire Beacon of Hope award for her previous community work and has even appeared on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch with TV presenter Steph McGovern and on Naga Munchetty’s BBC Radio 5 Live show to talk about her campaigns and spread kindness.

Marnie’s mum, Chrissa, runs the award-winning Sunshine Support, which offers support for parents and teachers of children who have special educational needs.

Chrissa said: “Marnie has a heart of gold and believes that everyone should enjoy the Easter celebration without having to worry about the rising cost of living.

“She’s an absolute super-star and although her kindness and generosity has been matched by the people of Derby, there are still families who we want to reach who are feeling the pinch.”

Donations of chocolate eggs can be dropped off at Sunshine Support’s headquarters, in Spondon, or a donation to purchase eggs can be made online.

To nominate an individual to receive an Easter Egg, fill in the online form by 11pm on April 1 - https://www.marnie-delivers-christmas.uk/easter

A Special Guest joins Marnie on her Fifth Mile!

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:00:00 GMT

Marnie's sister Ridley joins her to reach 5 miles!

Marnie was joined by her younger sister Ridley on her recent mile walk to keep her motivation levels up! Click here to watch the video!

Ridley, age 8, brought tonnes of energy to the mile-long walk; one of 25 that Marnie is undertaking in her quest to raise money for Christmas dinners for SEND families this Christmas.

Whilst Marnie is now well known for her charity work, her younger sister Ridley also has a name for herself as she has spent the last few years raising awareness of the most common learning difficulty Developmental Language Disorder. You can watch one of Ridley's enlightening and entertaining Facebook live videos by clicking here .

"I have DLD, but I still achieve a lot and I don't get as anxious as I used to because I'm getting better at understanding it. There are lots of children like me, and their parents have to fight hard to get assessments for them and get sensory toys and things like that. It means that it can be hard to afford Christmas so I like that Marnie tries her best to help them. We love Christmas you see!" said Ridley, who's featured on several campaigns launched by Sunshine Support.

"I loved having Ridley come with me on the walk. It gets lonely sometimes, as it's just me with Dad filming the walk in cool ways. I was starting to lose motivation. Ridley is crazy and so she brought me some energy I think!"

Marnie's putting a great deal of effort and commitment into her campaign, remember to donate and/or nominate !

Marnie on BBC Radio Derby!

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 07:15:00 GMT

"Everyone deserves a special meal at Christmas"

Marnie was overwhelmingly excited to meet Sally Pepper on her BBC Radio Derby show yesterday, 13th December.

Sally chatted with Marnie and her mum Chrissa about the origins of Marnie Delivers Christmas and why she feels so inspired to give to the community.

"I started by giving Christmas dinners to 5 families in 2020. Then last year we raised it to 15 families, this year I hope to help 25 families"

The ingredients that Marnie buys with the money she has raised include turkey, all the trimmings, Christmas crackers and the all-important Prosecco.

It was an utterly emotional interview, with Chrissa shedding tears throughout!

The interview was filmed, you can watch it below...

Mum Brought to Tears

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 14:45:00 GMT

"We had decided to cancel Christmas until Marnie arrived on our doorstep!"

“We have been so extremely effected by COVID, we have lost two incomes into the house because of it. We have children with SEND and chronic illnesses ourselves, we feel lonely and forgotten. Marnie you have changed all of that, you are so incredibly kind. I can’t believe how much food you’ve just dropped off… And Prosecco! What a Christmas we will have, you’ve made it one to remember”

I cried when I dropped off these shopping bags in 2020. I really did. It made me want to do more in 2021. And here I am in 2022 still trying my best to feed families at Christmas time... Please dig deep and help!

Nominate yourself or someone else to win a Christmas dinner, or donate if you can…

Fourth Mile - coming up!

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:32:59 GMT

There's no stopping Marnie as she embarks on Mile number 4!

She's not bored yet! Marnie has been busy walking another mile to raise money for families this Christmas!

Watch her funky video here.

Marnie is walking 25 miles in total and hopes to raise £100 per mile in order to feed families this Christmas. It's her third year of this wonderful initiative, and she's only 11!

Donate or nominate a family and help Marnie in her quest.

A Christmas to Remember!

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 13:24:38 GMT

"We've never had such a luxurious Christmas feast!"

“Marnie you’re a kind soul, I can’t believe what you’ve just delivered to us. We have never had such a luxurious Christmas feast! We will be forever grateful to you, you’ve made this a Christmas to remember”

I always feel a bit weird posting these comments, my mum says I should enjoy the feeling of pride. But I suppose I don’t do it for that, I just want people to have a lovely Christmas.

My mum has always enjoyed Christmas and loves the time we spend together and all food we eat, I feel really lucky to have that and so just want to spread it around.

The first year I did this I did it out of my own pocket money and some money my mum donated, but there are so many families in need my GoHenry card doesn’t stretch far enough!

So I need your help… Can you give a donation or share some of my social media posts ? I’m grateful for either (or both!).

Marnie braves the cold to walk her third mile!

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 13:21:42 GMT

Marnie dons her winter warmers and walks her third mile!

The weather has started to get really cold, but that's not stopped Marnie!

Winter hat and duvet coat on and off she goes! Click here to see her fab video !

Marnie is walking 25 miles and hopes to raise £100 per mile in order to feed families this Christmas. It's her third year of this wonderful initiative, and she's only 11!

Donate or nominate a family to help Marnie's fantastic campaign !

A Weight has been Lifted

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:09:52 GMT

You've really lifted the weight of Christmas for me, Marnie!

“Marnie you have no idea how much of a difference you’ve made to my family, receiving our food today made me cry. It’s lifted a huge weight. Thank you”

This was a lovely message I received last year, and the family even sent me pictures. I was so happy for them.

Nominate yourself or someone else to win a Christmas dinner, or donate if you can…

Marnie's Second & Third Mile!

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 12:03:39 GMT

Marnie walks a second mile! All in the name of Christmas dinner!

Marnie has been busy walking (and walking and walking) to raise money to fund Christmas dinners for SEND families this Christmas.

Marnie, age 11 from Derby, has pledged to walk 25 miles in the hope of raising enough money to feed 25 families this Christmas.

Marnie who is a proud SEND sibling and also experiences sensory processing difficulties herself said "I love being able to help families who live with special educational needs, it comes naturally to me and there's no better time to be able to help than at Christmas"

You can watch Marnie's progress as she walks 25 miles to raise awareness of her campaign right here on YouTube .

Donate to the Marnie Delivers Christmas campaign by clicking here .

Feedback from 2021

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:34:27 GMT

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“Oh my goodness! We have all had COVID in the 10 days running up to Christmas so none of us could leave the house to get the food.

We have also lost our incomes as a result and our family plans for Christmas Day have been cancelled too so that we can protect our loved ones.

When I answered the door to find a Turkey with all the trimmings plus crackers, a box of chocolates and Prosecco I was so overwhelmed! I have no idea who nominated me but thank you! Thank you!”

This family later guessed who’d nominated them! What a lovely thing for their friend to do!

Nominate yourself or someone else to win a Christmas dinner, or donate if you can…

Marnie Delivers Christmas in the news!

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 13:10:16 GMT

Marnie Delivers Christmas hit the news this week!

Marnie featured in the national news today and also on the front page of her local newspaper!

Here's the article...

A kind-hearted schoolgirl is spreading joy to families who are feeling the pinch this Christmas by walking a mile every day for 25 days, with the aim of raising enough money to treat them to a festive feast.

This will be the third year that eleven-year-old Marnie Wadlow has helped those in need. Last year, Marnie delivered turkey and all the trimmings – including Prosecco and pudding – to 25 families in the city.

Her festive campaign – called Marnie Delivers Christmas – started in December 2020 when the caring youngster realised that, due to the pandemic, some families may not be able to afford Christmas.

She did extra chores around the house and used her pocket money to purchase food, which she then delivered with her mum Chrissa Wadlow.

Chrissa, founder and managing director of award-winning Sunshine Support , a not-for-profit organisation that helps support families with children who have special educational needs, is understandably proud of her daughter.

She said:

“Marnie has a big heart and simply loves Christmas. It takes a lot of time and planning and it is quite emotional to hear stories of how families in Derby are struggling during these difficult times.

“It’s quite something when your daughter is making people weep on their own doorstep.”

Marnie, who won an award for her community fundraising efforts, said:

“My aim is to provide dinner for 25 families again this year – but it would be even better if we could provide for more.

“I really enjoy helping people and it’s also fun going shopping and delivering the food with my mum.

“She has always told me to be kind and think of others from a very young age, and that’s what I like to do.”

Chrissa and Marnie found that families were often too proud to ask for help, and so this year they are handing out food from Sunshine Support’s Spondon headquarters.

To receive the festive goodies, those nominated must live with special educational needs. This may be them personally or someone who lives with them.

Chrissa, who will be part of the panel, added:

“The Wadlow family is wonderfully neurodivergent. This means that we are each different with several of us living with presentations such as Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Developmental Language Disorder and Sensory Processing Difficulties.

“From my work with families who are living with special educational needs, I know how challenging life can be. It’s even harder, though, at Christmas, especially if you have a low income.”

Nominations close on December 18th and a panel of adults will choose people at random, who will then be given details on how to collect their lunch.

To make a nomination, please visit: www.marnie-delivers-christmas.uk/Nominate .

My 4 Nominations were Awarded a Dinner!

Sat, 03 Dec 2022 12:46:18 GMT

All 4 of my Nominations were Awarded a Christmas Dinner! Thank you Marnie!

“I nominated 4 families and all 4 got an amazing food parcel containing everything that they could need for Christmas Day, in fact a food parcel makes it sound small. I couldn’t believe the quantity and quality of the food! All hand picked by Marnie, what a great scheme and what a great human you are Marnie!”

This lovely lady nominated 4 families who had shared with her how hard they were finding Christmas costs in 2021. Marnie was thrilled to deliver a Christmas feast to each of them!

Nominate yourself or someone else to win a Christmas dinner, or donate if you can…

Marnie's First Mile Walk!

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 13:30:00 GMT

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Marnie completes her first of 25 miles to raise money to buy families Christmas dinners this Christmas last week.

Marnie is walking 25 miles and hopes to raise £100 per mile in order to feed families this Christmas. It's her third year of this wonderful initiative, and she's only 11!

Marnie recorded a video of her first walk and will post regular updates throughout her campaign. View the video here.

Donate, nominate a family and read more about Marnie's fantastic campaign here: https://www.marnie-delivers-christmas.uk/

Donator gets the Feel Good Factor!

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 12:38:49 GMT

"I am thrilled to be part of something so special and impactful!"

“What a lovely thing to do Marnie. It’s clear to see how much effort you’ve put in, so the least I could do was donate a little to help you.

It’s been wonderful to know I was part of something so impactful. Let me know if you do it again next year! Well done!”

A lovely message from someone who donated money to my campaign last year. If you wanted to get involved, then it’s easy and you’ll feel good for it too! Donate here.

And I'm back!

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 12:30:08 GMT

I'm back to help families with their Christmas dinners for 2022!

I'm so excited to be back for another year, raising money to feed families at Christmas!

Earlier in the year I launched an Easter Egg Appeal and provided around 50 Easter eggs for children around Derby. So I've been getting in plenty of practice over the year!

This Christmas I hope to raise enough money to feed 25 families.

I'll be walking a 25 miles through December, and I'm asking for sponsorship.

Click the links above to learn more about this year's campaign!

Day 1 of Deliveries!

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 23:28:59 GMT

Tonight, all of Marnie's planning and campaigning came together as she delivered the first 6 meals to families in need...

Tonight 10 year old Marnie made some families weep on their doorsteps. It wasn't intentional, and she found it very emotional, too.

After months of planning Marnie bought Christmas dinners for 6 families who would have otherwise gone without this year, and has spent over 4 hours delivering them to their homes.

Marnie features in the Derby Telegraph!

183:876712059 (Chrissa Wadlow) — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 13:34:11 GMT

Marnie was in the news this week...

We were thrilled to read a lovely piece about Marnie's campaign in the local newspaper this week...

The article talks about why Marnie is doing what she's doing, what she achieved last year for the families of Derby, how you can nominate a family for "Marnie Delivers Christmas" and how you can help.

Click here to read more.

Marnie's Thoughts...

"It's so lovely to see that my campaign is in the news, as it helps me to reach the families who need my help. I can't do it without the help of people sharing the campaign and it featuring in the media, so this is so exciting!"

"Last year, as I reached the checkout at my local Sainsbury's where I paid the meals I'd raised money for I spotted some bottles of Prosecco on offer. So my Mum paid for some so I could add it to the bags of food as an added little bonus. I hope to do the same this year, but the most important thing is to provide the food and hope that it spreads happiness."

Thank you...

For all the offers of help so far... We have been offered help in delivering the food before Christmas too, which is so lovely! We will definitely be taking up these offers of help.

We are almost half way in reaching our target of £3000, and so we need your help in raising a bit more so we can make an impact to those who have been nominated.

Every little helps! You can donate here...

Marnie features on National TV!

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 12:27:17 GMT

When Marnie met Steph, of Steph's Packed Lunch.

We were thrilled to be invited to feature on the Channel 4 lunchtime programme Steph's Packed Lunch on Thursday 9th December.

Steph and her production team had found out about the incredible work that Marnie has been doing in her campaign to feed 30 families living with SEND in Derby, and were quite moved, so extended an invite to feature on the show.

"I was so nervous, but I knew that this wasn't about me, it was about letting people know that we could help them this Christmas. And so, despite being really nervous, I just had to do this for the families I want to help" said Marnie, age 10.

The Nerves!

It's Showtime!

Marnie was taken into the back-stage area and mic'd up (she found this fascinating, as they had to add an unseen belt to her outfit in order to clip the radio microphones on), she was greeted with such friendly warmth but the nerves started to really set in.

Marnie headed for a quiet area where she practiced some breathing exercises and some relaxation with me, Mum. We were both feeling the anxiety building, but knew that this was something we really wanted to do.

Then, it was time to go! It was showtime!

We were introduced to Steph during the commercial break, and we also said hello to Denise van Outen, Michael Portillo, Dane Baptiste and the small-but-energetic audience. Everyone was super friendly, but Steph really was incredible - she really put us at ease.

Marnie was super nervous to start, but soon got into the swing of things.

She was praised for doing something so kind, which is still baffling her... "I think everyone should be this kind, if everyone did one thing to be kind the world would have less problems and more happiness" she said.

Steph spoke to Marnie about why she is wanting to feed 30 families in Derby this Christmas and what she has achieved to date, she was amazed by her kindness.

If you'd like to watch Marnie talking about her "Marnie Delivers Christmas" campaign on Steph's Packed Lunch, you can find it on Channel 4's All 4.

And we are live!

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 19:52:44 GMT

After months of planning this out with my Mum, I'm so excited that my website is now live!

I am keeping this blog short, but I will update you regularly on our fund and how much we have raised. I will even film some videos to show my appreciation!

Please keep sharing the website, I need your help to make this a success and feed 30 families in Derby with a lovely Christmas Dinner!

Thank you so much!

Love, Marnie x