Team Tilda’s fabulous fourth year of festive fundraising
Team Tilda have, for the fourth year in a row, been selling festive fun in the form of posh puddings to fundraise for the eye research charity Fight for Sight. Their total this year has broken all their previous records with over £3300 raised so far.
Team Tilda, led by Claire and Julian Henley from Kenilworth, fundraise for Fight for Sight because their 8-year-old daughter, Matilda, lives with a corneal dystrophy, a rare inherited eye condition.
Matilda’s sight problems were first identified when she was just 18 months old. Matilda's eyes are covered in tiny microcysts which can dry out and burst, causing extreme pain and blurred vision. Her consultants have tried various treatments in the hope of preventing erosions occurring - none have been successful. Matilda manages with lubricating eye drops hourly during the day, thick ointments at night and bandage contact lenses.
This is why Matilda's parents, as Team Tilda, fundraise for Fight for Sight. The money raised is used specifically to fund research into corneal dystrophies in the hope that one day a cure may be found.
Their annual festive fundraiser actually begins in the summer. Team Tilda works with the Ultimate Pudding Company to sell Christmas puddings made by the Cumbria-based company.
Claire Henley takes up the story: “We ordered our supply of puddings for this year in August. They arrived on an enormous pallet and took up most of our garage. We sell puddings to everyone and anyone - on the playground, at work, at Brownies, on the football pitch, as well as to any tradesmen who visit the house. We still have a carpenter and decorator who order every year to support us! This year we were at the Kenilworth Light Switch On event [3 December 2017] which was a great success. Both Matilda and Austin, her brother, loved playing 'shop' and meeting new customers. They love helping us put together customer orders and creating the artwork for the pudding labels.”
She added: “We have a limited number of Christmas puddings and sticky toffee puddings at Andrew Davies Bakery in Kenilworth. This is a local-run bakery who we have known since our daughters, both called Matilda, were at nursery together. They support us every year by selling the Team Tilda puddings.”
Over the years the festive fundraiser, plus other Team Tilda events, have raised nearly £15,000. If you would like to make a donation to Team Tilda please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROSomeoneSpecialPage?pageUrl=TeamTilda
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About corneal dystrophy:
• Corneal dystrophy is a group of rare inherited eye conditions that affect the cornea – the clear front surface of the eye – and can cause sight loss. The group includes Fuchs corneal dystrophy and Meesmann Corneal Dystrophy. For more information about this condition or other eye health conditions, visit the “A-Z eye conditions” page on the Fight for Sight web site: https://www.fightforsight.org.uk/about-the-eye/a-z-eye-conditions/