Borough woman thinking big in helping serious ill youngsters (From Dudley News)

Borough woman thinking big in helping serious ill youngsters

5:00pm Saturday 22nd September 2012 in News

A BOROUGH woman who runs a project to help seriously ill youngsters is thinking big to keep kids smiling.

More Mascots Please, run by 22-year-old Ceri Davies, has been awarded a development package, including a £300 grant, from the O2 Think Big initiative to help the young managing director, who has her own consultancy, develop her social enterprise.

MMP provides children's parties and entertainment for disabled and terminally ill youngsters in the Black Country and Ceri, who has spina bifida and cerebral palsy, says training and mentoring from Think Big will give her extra know-how to expand the project.

Ceri, from Kingswinford, said: "I feel confident that this will enable the project to facilitate more events and create thousands of smiles on children’s faces.

"This is a subject close to my heart as with my own conditions and disabilities, I spent a lot of my time in hospital. I noticed a lack of provision for disabled and ill children.”

Ceri uses mascot characters to provide positive role models for children and she plans to spend the O2 cash on an additional mascot costume, clothes for mascots and treats to distribute to children during parties.

She is also planning to organise a series of community events during the coming weeks including a visit to the O2 store in the Merry Hill Shopping Centre.

Helen Parker, O2 community manager, said: “Through the Think Big initiative, we are giving young people cash, training and support so that they can make a positive change to their areas.

"More Mascots Please is a perfect example of how nurturing a young person’s idea can create genuine social action.”