PDDCS members to switch on Hampton lights with Louis Smith

** New .. This event will have signed comunication support**

Two PDDCS members, Chloe Peacock and Charley Stokes, are to switch on the Christmas lights at the Serpentine Green Shopping Centre with Olympic hero and star of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, Louis Smith.

The two girls have been selected after being nominated and receiving lots of messages of support on Serpentine Green's Facebook page where the shopping centre asked for the names of kids who deserved the honour of switching on the lights and meeting the popular Olympic silver medalist (who is among the favourites to win the coveted Glitterball on the flagship show).

Chloe is an accomplished gymnast herself, winning multiple medals through the year while overcoming her hearing problems and numerous visits to hospital.

Chloe's Mum and PDDCS Committee member Nicky Peacock said: "It's lovely. The first thing she Chloe said was she couldn't believe how many people wrote so many lovely things about her and that she feels like the luckiest girl in the world. She is so excited she cant wait!"

Charley's family experienced disaster earlier in the year when their home was devastated by fire which forced the family to live apart while mother, Louisa, worked to bring the home back to a livable condition. At the time PDDCS were involved in a campaign to support the family but the outright devastation to the home, which rendered all Charley's clothes and toys unusable, meant the family were living apart for many months. Charley, who wears hearing aids seemed to take it all in her stride.

Charley is also a superb gymnast and her mother is a gymnastics instructor - they all know their stuff!

PDDCS hopes both girls have an amazing time with their hero. The big event is on Thursday 22nd November from 5.30pm

Anonymous £500 boosts fire family appeal

A generous anonymous donor boosted the PDDCS appeal to help a local family of a deaf child forced to leave home after a devastating fire.

Secretary Andy Palmer presented the £500 cheque to Louisa Stokes at her home on Saturday and saw for himself the progress that is being made, in part, thanks to the £800 already donated and the time and effort of the volunteers who helped out in the weeks following the fire.

"The house is looking much better. The walls are clean and white and new door frames and skirting boards look good" Andy Palmer said.

"Louisa has been through so much and has worked continuously to get her home back to a condition where her children can come back. I have so much respect for her resilience and spirit in such difficult circumstances. I would also like to pay tribute to everyone who has donated so far, be it time, toys, clothes or money. It has all made a difference. I would also like to give a mention to the anonymous donor who boosted the appeal by £500. Thank you so much. Thanks again to everyone who has helped so far." he said.

There is still lots to do in the house including replacing furniture, carpets, the kitchen and replacing blinds and curtains. The house is still not fit for children to live in. All the work to come costs money so if you think you can contribute, please visit the Virgin Money giving page. It only takes a moment and every little helps.

PDDCS raises £700 for Local Fire Family .. but so much more to do

Andy Palmer, Secretary of the society handed over cheques worth over £650 to Louise Stokes, mother of deaf child and PDDCS member Charley, to go towards the cost of repairing her house following a fire in February that caused extensive damage and rendered the property uninhabitable. Back then the family was separated and they are still not back together.

Andy Palmer handing over cheques worth £650 to Louisa Stokes

Louisa said: "Thanks so much for the donations. They will help to cover the cost of plastering the house - the whole house had to be re-done and that alone cost me over £1000.

"The kids aren't back yet - this has all taken longer than I realised it would but I will keep working till they are back and the house is put right."

The donation was made up from the generosity of people via the Virgin Giving page. £150 from the Peterborough Lions and £100 from a paint company. A very big thanks to all those who have donated so far - the money makes a big difference. In addition, Louisa also thanked people for the kind donations of toys, furniture and clothes. "It means so much to me" she said. "I don't know most of the  people who have helped and I just want to say a big thanks for everything." 

Back in February and March, teams of volunteers from Action on Hearing Loss, Jack Hunt School and Peterborough Sensory Support Services volunteered to help get some of the work done and made some progress but three months on from the fire and work still continues on the house. "There is still much to be done". said Andy Palmer.

"The house still needs to be painted throughout. All the carpets must be replaced and all the electrical fittings must also be changed as they are blackened and in some cases warped. A downstairs window must also be replaced as it cannot be opened thanks to the heat from the fire." he continued. 

"I renew the appeal for people's generosity. The Virgin Giving page is still up and running and we have a new target to reach of £1,000 which will help cover the cost of paint and some carpeting. If anyone can help with ideas or a donation, then the sooner this little girl and her family are reunited."

To make a donation, please visit the Virgin Giving page or if you can offer help in another way, please contact Louisa direct on 07989 435395


New Update .. 

Can you help the Stokes Family Return Home?

We have been following the plight of local family of a deaf child and their struggle to get life back together following a devastating house fire.

The family are still separated as the mother, Louisa, does all she can to get the house back into a habitable condition but the bill is likely to run into thousands, if not tens of thousands, of pounds. Everything from double glazing to the kids clothes has to be replaced. Every wall in the house cleaned, treated and repainted if not replastered. Its a mammoth job that will take years to complete without help. Years before normality can return to this family and daughter.

Any donation you can make towards the effort, via the PDDCS appeal, will make a difference. Every little helps.

You can make a quick and easy donation here: Thanks for you support.

Fire Damaged Home of Deaf Child - Work Begins to Bring Family Home

Lucy Turner, Richard Armitage and Dean Wash get to work

Volunteers and friends of the family began to make some progress this weekend on returning a severely damaged home of a deaf child back to normal.

We told you last week how the home of Louisa Stokes and her three children, including daughter Charlie who has hearing loss, was almost completely destroyed by an intense blaze that had left the family with almost nothing. During the week friends of the family began replacing the ceilings in the worst affected areas. This weekend, volunteers from Action on Hearing Loss and the Jack Hunt School, which houses Peterborough's education unit dedicated to deaf children, worked on bringing the kitchen back into use.

The devastating effects of smoke and heat are apparent throughout the entire house. The fire itself barely lasted 10 minutes but there is simply no area untouched by the heat or smoke. Smoke that left a thick oily soot in it's wake. There is oily soot inside, outside and on top of every kitchen cabinet and worktop, over all the food and then even inside the children's cereal boxes. It coats every wall black, its behind every drawer, black is everywhere you look, in every room. Nothing has escaped - everything needs attention.

The heat generated from this intense blaze has melted the top of the kitchen cabinets and freezer more than 20 feet away from where the fire began. The heat smashed the windows and condemned all the plaster in dining room. In the stairway leading to the first floor, where the family were at the time the fire began, the deep blackness reflects no light, there is no paint to left to see. The bedrooms smell strongly of smoke and again, everything is lacquered in the remorseless oily black soot from a fire that, although long extinguished, will have its presence felt for months.

No amount of washing is likely to totally eradicate the stench from the family's clothes and Louisa told me that sadly for the children, most of their toys will probably have to be thrown out.

Good progress is being made though. Friend Daz Lander had plaster boarded the damaged ceilings and some of the worst walls although a plasterer will be needed to build on his progress. Another friend, Neil Wagstaff has tackled the soot in the living room and made astonishing progress. The volunteers from Jack Hunt and Action on Hearing Loss worked on the kitchen, bringing it up to a useable state.

More help is still needed though. The pictures from the day show progress but there is so much still to do. If you think you can lend a hand with donating items, cleaning, plastering, decorating or another job you think may help, please contact Louisa Stokes on 07989 435395 and help bring forward the day when this deaf child's family can return home.

New Update .. 

Neil Wagstaff makes good in the front room.

After four hours scrubbing, the kitchen returns to some normality with Kerry Brooks and Lucy Turner

Daz Lander single-handedly working the walls

Andy Palmer and Lucy Turner

Family of Deaf Child Call for Help Following House Fire - Can You Assist?

A PDDCS Member Family from New England in Peterborough are asking for help with repairs to their home following a devastating house fire this week which has gutted their home.

Louisa Stokes was putting her three children to bed when she could smell burning and discovered the TV blazing. The fire was quickly extinguished but that didnt prevent massive damage and the home is now uninhabitable. The family has been separated while work begins to bring the house back to normal. The ET has the full story here.

If you can help with the repair work and help get this family of a deaf child back on track, please contact Louisa on  07989 435395.


Every little helps

Update here and here and here 

Image: Peterborough Today