A local children’s hospice is launching a special competition to give the Beach Hut it owns in Clacton the name it deserves.
In the summer of 2010, Little Havens Children’s Hospice, was kindly donated a beach hut of their very own on the seafront in East Clacton. The beach hut was owned by a man known only as John from Brighton. When John sadly died, his daughter approached some children’s charities and asked them to submit a proposal describing how they would make the most of the Beach Hut.
Little Havens Senior Nurse Lindsay Stone said, “We were thrilled when John’s daughter chose us. We can now take children with life-limiting illnesses and their siblings for fun trips to the seaside! It helps to improve their confidence and allows them to build their own support system with each other. The hut is also available for the families we care for to use in their own time.”
In September 2011, the Little Havens Beach Hut won a national award in the search for the UK’s Beach Hut of the Year, scooping the top prize for ‘Best Beach Hut Story’ and now the charity which cares for children with serious illnesses throughout Essex, has launched a special competition for schools and colleges in North Essex.
Grant Peters, Community Fundraiser for North Essex, explains, “Sadly we don’t have an official name for the Beach Hut but we’d really like to call it by a name it deserves so we’ve launched this competition. We would like students from schools and colleges throughout North Essex to name the hut and design a sign for it ahead of the warmer weather.”
The charity is hoping the winning name and sign will kick start a season of seaside fun for the children cared for by the hospice.
Grant added, “The winning entry will be judged by some of the children who visit the hospice and they’ll be looking for a name and sign which really celebrates the care the hospice provides to children throughout Essex – and of course which captures the fun of the seaside too.”
The winning design will be turned into a sign to hang proudly from the wooden Beach Hut thanks to Signs Made Easy Ltd. An official unveiling will take place in the Spring.
The suggested entry fee is a minimum of £1, and anyone up to age of 19 years-old can enter. The deadline is 4th March 2012 and the winner will be chosen by the children of Little Havens Children's Hospice.
To enter, please send in your design on A3 or A4 paper, along with entry fee and form to:
Little Havens Beach Hut Competition
FREEPOST CL2119
Westcliff on Sea
ESSEX
SS0 8BR
Please make cheques payable to “Little Havens Children’s Hospice.”
For further information about the Beach Hut competition or fundraising for Little Havens Children’s Hospice, please contact Grant Peters on 01702 220305 or email gpeters@havenshospices.org.uk
