Christmas is all about giving

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was involved in my Christmas shopping event last week for Remember My Baby.

As many of you already know, RMB is a charity that holds a massively fond space in my heart. I volunteer as a photographer for the charity to attend hospitals and capture the most images after a baby is born already sleeping.

Most of us can’t (don’t want to) imagine what it feels like for such a tragedy to strike so I, along with many other volunteers like me, am honoured to be able to provide them with much needed images of their angels, in their time of need.

For me, it’s all about supporting such an amazing charity. Just £5 pays for a USB stick for parents to keep. But why stop there?

That’s why I have organised a Christmas shopping event for the past three years. I cajole a number of local businesses into taking a stand at the event and selling their wares to the public. Thursday 22 November saw the third event take place at Evan’s Bistroin Whitley Bay. This night isn’t about newborn photography – it’s about meeting up with friends, doing some locally-sourced Christmas shopping, enjoying a drink and winning some amazing raffle prizes.

Eleven local businesses set up stalls and donated raffle prizes and we sold tickets at £5 each for members of the public.

The night was cold and wet, but we made sure Evan’s had the heating turned up, the Christmas tunes on and the fairy lights twinkling. They’d even laid on a gorgeous festive fizz cocktail for our shoppers to enjoy as they browsed.

Matt from Orange Four Design was one of the local business that attended the event. Matt said: “We have been at the RMB event for the past three years and have loved being a part of it. It is such a wonderful charity and always a brilliant turn out. Tina does a fantastic job in organising the event.”

Thanks Matt!

The atmosphere at the event last week was incredible. With an intimate venue, all the stallholders and shoppers were chatting shoulder to shoulder and buying each other’s products to boot – I know we did a good deal of the Stobbs family Christmas shopping in one night!

The evening was frantic, fun and festive and at the end of it all, with a drum roll resounding in my head, the final count for Remember My Baby was a whopping £613! So, thank you all so much for coming, supporting, donating and sharing. I couldn’t do any of this without your support and generosity and I know the charity is incredibly grateful too.

Special thanks, once again, goes to:

· Evan’s Bistro

· The Wandering Dog

· Allumine

· My Retreat

· Ailsa’s Chocolates for Chocoholics

· Elsee Crafts

· Rosebud Clay Makes

· Dinky Doo Designs

· Orange Four Design

·Vickie Bradford

· Lydia Sutton of Scentsy

.   Pebble Blue Communications

I’m totally humbled by everyone’s response to my fundraising efforts and will continue to organise events like these while ever people will come along and enjoy them.