Charity looks to join forces with businesses to support Hipperholme girl with rare kidney cancer

Bright Sparks is an opportunity for employees to develop creative, entrepreneurial and business skills whilst in turn, supporting the local community by entering the Candlelighters Bright Sparks Challenge.

Upon entering the Candlelighters Bright Sparks Challenge, teams of up to eight employees are tasked with turning tea-light candles into the biggest pot of money that they can, competing with other teams across the county to see who can take the crown of ‘Candlelighters Brightest Sparks’

Businesses that take part in the Bright Sparks Challenge will be supporting children like Anais Stainthorpe, from Hipperholme.

At just five years old, Anais was diagnosed in 2017 with Wilms tumour, a rare cancer of the kidney, which had spread to other parts of her body. Anais needed to undergo intensive

treatment including chemotherapy, two major surgeries and radiotherapy.

Over the three years since Anais was diagnosed, Candlelighters helped the family through the journey of childhood cancer with support on the ward at Leeds Children’s Hospital and at their family support centre, The Square, with services ranging from talking therapies, to mums and dads groups and massage therapy.

Mum Becky Smith said: “The Square was an oasis when we were living on the ward. The benefit of massage therapy was so needed, sleeping in a hospital fold up bed for months is not good for your back”.

“Candlelighters have been fantastic. Whether it’s seeing a friendly face on the ward, or for a chat and a coffee at the square, they have been there. Candlelighters really made you feel you

were not alone.

“Please help, this little charity makes such a difference to families. They provide support when you need it most. We were incredibly lucky to have a positive outcome. No family should have to go through this journey, but having Candlelighters there to help makes it easier”.

The Bright Sparks Challenge has been developed by Candlelighters to give businesses the opportunity to support a crucial Yorkshire charity with an initiative that will motivate and develop their people, at a time when many learning and development budgets have been cut.

With support from Candlelighters team members will have the chance to learn new skills and develop the profile of themselves and their businesses.

Candlelighters’ Bright Sparks Project Manager, Chris Salt, said: “We are very excited to be launching this challenge, after what has been an unpredictable year so far for many businesses across the Yorkshire region.

"Our Bright Sparks Challenge will give businesses the opportunity to develop and motivate their teams and to inject a bit of fun into their workplace, which will help morale as we venture into 2022."

The Bright Sparks Challenge begins on October 4 2021 and entrants will have four months to use their tea-lights to raise as much money as possible for Candlelighters and the children and families it supports.

If you’d like to enter or find out more about the Bright Sparks Challenge, you can contact Candlelighters at [email protected] , call them on 0113 322 9283 or visit their website

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