A model teenager teamed up with a fund-raising ‘superstar’ on a mission to bring some eggs-tra special Easter joy to care home residents in Wrexham.
Miss Teen Wrexham Lilly-Anne Sullivan, 18, and community spirited student Ben White, 19, spearheaded a campaign to gather Easter eggs to deliver to Pendine Park’s Bryn Bella and Pen-y-Bryn care homes.
The determined pair galvanised fellow students and staff at Coleg Cambria to donate eggs for the good cause.
In addition, they contacted local businesses to get behind the appeal with the result that they received bumper donations from Wrexham branches of Spar and Lidl supermarkets.
In all the team collected 92 eggs to boost the annual Easter weekend celebrations at the care homes.
Pendine Park Artist in Residence Sarah Edwards said: “It’s an amazing feat. It was so nice of Lilly-Anne, Ben and the team to think of us and bring some extra springtime joy to our residents.
“In our regular residents’ art sessions, we’ve been creating some colourful Easter themed decorations and artwork so these eggs will add perfectly to the display, as well as being delicious,” she laughed.
Lilly-Anne, who is approaching the end of her current year as Miss Teen Wrexham, first forged a link with Pendine Park residents during the periods of pandemic lockdown.
She decided to write them letters delivering news about what she was up to during her year after first winning the Miss Teen Wrexham title back in 2020.
Her letter writing evoked many smiles and the chatty style of her correspondence was greatly enjoyed by residents.
After lockdown when it was safe, she visited residents in person and enjoyed chatting to them first hand and hearing about their own varied life stories.
She said: “Since then I have tried to keep in touch and visit a couple of times a year. At important times like Easter or Christmas I always like to do a little something extra to show how much we think about all the care home residents and value their contribution to the Wrexham community.”
Lilly-Anne is studying for A-levels in English Language, History and Law, while Ben is studying for an A-level in computer science and games development, and completing a Welsh baccalaureate at Coleg Cambria.
They are both also members of the college’s social enterprise committee.
One of the committee’s goals is to initiate and oversee ways for students to contribute to and integrate with the wider Wrexham community. This often includes organising fund-raising events, charity campaigns and fun, recreational activities for the community to join in.
Coleg Cambria enterprise and entrepreneurship co-ordinator Judith Alexander and student voice engagement officer, Mark Hughes, accompanied Lilly-Anne and Ben on their eggs delivery trip to Pendine Park.
Judith “Ben really is a fund-raising superstar. He is so enthusiastic and puts his all into any project we undertake. He’s also hugely devoted to helping charitable causes. Over the last year alone he’s raised more than £1,100 and he’s a great inspiration to the rest of our students.”
It was a message endorsed by Mark who added: “They had to have some help, as there were so many eggs. We were armed with bags full of them. Lilly-Anne and Ben are both great ambassadors for Coleg Cambria, it’s great to see the friendship they have formed with residents here.”
“Ben’s confidence and team-building skills have soared since he joined the college enterprise committee and he was recently elected as the Student Enterprise Officer. He has some great ideas for community-centred projects which we can all get involved in.”
Lilly-Anne has also made sterling efforts to link up with various charities, as part of her role as Miss Teen Wrexham. They include the Together for Short Lives group which helps families of children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Following Lilly-Anne’s success as Miss Teen Wrexham, she will be competing in the Miss Teen Great Britain finals to be held later this year.
Sarah said all the residents of Bryn Bella and Pen-y-Bryn will be wishing Lilly-Anne the best of luck.
She said: “Whatever happens in the finals, Lilly-Ann is already a winner who dedicates so much of her time to helping her local community.”
Pendine Park resident Diane Bradshaw, wanted to say a big thank-you to all who donated Easter eggs to the Coleg Cambria campaign.
The mum of three said: “It was great fun and a big surprise to see so many eggs being delivered. Easter has always been one of my favourite times of year, as it comes just as the spring flowers are about to bloom and the nights are lighter. It’s a hopeful time of year.
“Seeing so many eggs arriving reminded me of good times with my children and grandchildren celebrating Easter together. There were lots of laughs and treats, and when my children were younger it always meant we didn’t feel so guilty about eating a little bit too much chocolate!”
