Winter Wonderland event in Woodloes raised more than £1,000 for Warwick youngster

Trevor Langley, of the Woodloes Community Events Team, has said: "The family have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the residents on Woodloes, and the huge community spirit generated over recent weeks."

The donations to Team Ethan were to help with the cost of the specialised equipment needed to support the six-year-old at home - including the chair he is in for these photos.

Ethan has Lesch Nyhan Syndrome which means he has to be fed through a gastrostomy tube straight into his stomach.

He cannot stand on his own, or sit up, or walk or talk.

He also has problems with reflux, constipation and dystonia.

The event involved residents decorating the fronts of their houses and then making donations to the cause.

They donated, in cash and cheques and through the event's JustGiving page, for the pleasure of walking round Woodloes admiring the 150 or more special displays in windows, in gardens and on roofs.

One family had a Father Christmas Scarecrow on their front lawn, under a little arbour, and people donated to the charities in exchange for having their photos taken with Santa.

Mrs Claus paid a surprise visit in early December and took the children's letters back with her to Santa's workshop.

Another family started to decorate a tree in their garden and requested donations of spare baubles to make it up to 1,000. They actually achieved 1200, of all different shapes and sizes.

This created two generous donations of £100 each for the Acorns Children's Hospice charity.

Overall the event also raised £1,700 for Acorns.

Ethan's parents, and nine-year-old brother, Tristan, are very active on the estate, involved fully in community life, raising funds and raising awareness of children with disabilities.

Ethan is a pupil at Evergreen School on the estate.

Their annual Halloween Scary House was not possible in October 2020 due to COVID restrictions, so the Community Events Team organised a Halloween Scavenger Hunt, and the funds raised were included in the Winter Wonderland campaign.

The Maclellan family are hoping to stage an even bigger and better Halloween Scary House in 2021.

The Community Events Team, working with Adoption UK, have an all-age event planned for Easter, but the details are still under wraps.

In the meantime, families on the estate are encouraged to take part in The Greatest Snowman event which launches next week and is completely free to enter and to enjoy.

The information has been circulated through the School Newsletter, Woodloes Park Community Centre Website, and the two Facebook Groups - Woodloes Community Events" and Living On and Around Woodloes.