A KINGSWINFORD charity fundraiser who has been keeping her daughter’s memory alive and raising money and awareness for blood cancer charities has been nominated for one of our Dudley Community Awards.
Andrea Childs, an ambassador for Cure Leukaemia, has created sunflower gardens remembering her beloved daughter Beth that have wowed the crowds at BBC Gardener’s World and picked up awards for the last two years.
The beautiful border garden Beth’s Sunflowers won a prestigious silver award at this year’s event and was honoured further with the People’s Choice Best Beautiful Border 2024 award, voted by the public.
The endeavour and the selling of merchandise also raised £5,700 over four days for blood cancer charities.
In 2023 Andrea won the Community Endeavour Award with her debut appearance at the show.
Bringing Beth’s Sunflowers to life has helped Andrea to keep alive the memory of her 20-year-old Beth, who died from leukaemia six years ago, and to raise much-needed funds to help people affected by blood cancers.
Since losing Beth, Andrea has raised more than £37k for charity. She has also touched the hearts of many through her beautiful tribute to Beth.
Andrea’s efforts have seen her shortlisted for the Midlands Pride of Britain Awards this year; and in June she was recognised in the West Midlands Lieutenancy 50forWM50 campaign which saw 50 volunteers from each borough in the region invited to a ceremony hosted by the King’s representative The Lord Lieutenant John Crabtree OBE at Birmingham University Great Hall.
And now, she’s been nominated for the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year award at the Dudley Community Awards 2024.
The awards, run by Newsquest – publishers of The Stourbridge News and the Halesowen & Dudley News, aim to shine a spotlight on the work that goes on in the business, charity, educational, health and community sectors in Dudley borough as well as celebrating dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to help others.
Justine Hand, who nominated Andrea, said: “Andrea representing Beth's Sunflowers fundraising organisation is totally deserving of this award in 2024.
“Since losing her daughter Beth, aged 20 in 2018, Andrea has worked tirelessly often working seven days a week, alongside running her own company to raise money to help find a cure to blood cancers and support patients and their families currently suffering with the condition.
“Beth always loved fundraising, when she was seven she raised £20 from selling her teddies and toys to raise money for the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami and she continued as she got older to run in the Race for Life each year with her friends.
“Andrea, despite her tremendous grief, wanted to continue Beth’s work and threw herself aided by friends, family and Beth’s best friends into doing just that.”
Products made from sunflower seeds including wedding favours, children’s party pots, baby shower, christening and funeral gifts and bags of Reindeer food for Christmas are also sold as part of the Beth’s Sunflowers initiative.
Andrea and her supporters also attend schools, fairs, charity events and run pub sunflower growing competitions to raise funds and awareness of leukaemia and blood cancer.
Andrea created the charity Beth’s Sunflowers after she lost her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2018, just two months before her 21st birthday.
Sunflowers, Beth’s favourite flower, became a symbol of hope for Andrea. The following year, in 2019, another leukaemia mum grew sunflowers in her garden and gifted Andrea some seeds to grow the next year – sparking a tradition of growing and selling sunflowers to support Cure Leukaemia and other blood cancer charities like A Gift to Lift.
This in turn led to Andrea’s outings at BBC Gardeners’ World with Beth’s Sunflowers.
Andrea and other nominees for the Dudley Community Awards 2024 will find out on Thursday November 21 if they have won.
A black-tie awards ceremony will take place at The Copthorne Hotel, Brierley Hill, from 7pm.
There is still time to make a nomination for one of the 13 categories - Business of the Year, New Business of the Year, Independent Business of the Year, Best Customer Service, Best Community Project or Group, Volunteer or Fundraiser of the Year, Sports Team, Club or Personality of the Year, Teacher of the Year, Environmental Project of the Year, Young Person of the Year, Diversity in the Community Award, Care Hero of the Year and Healthcare Professional of the Year.
To nominate an individual, organisation or business visit https://www.dudleynews.co.uk/dudleycommunityawards2024/
The deadline is Sunday September 22.
Halesowen College and Birmingham Newman University are the headline sponsors of this year’s awards.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the awards can email debra.orr@localiq.co.uk.
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