Pateley Bridge High Street turns pink

Pink bunting and balloons were displayed from June 6-12 to help raise money and awareness for infant Acute Lymphoblastic Leukamia and of children’s cancer charity Candlelighters.

The initiative was organised by Pateley Bridge couple Katie and Jowayne Marshall, parents of tot Arlo Marshall who was diagnosed with leukaemia at only seven months old in February.

“Our world has been turned upside down, but Candlelighters have been there to support us every step of the way,” stated the parents.

“They do so much to support families like us by funding support and social workers, providing closer accommodation whilst Arlo has been in hospital in Leeds, funding research, providing extra play teams, offering counselling and wellbeing sessions, family activity days, nights for parents of children with cancer to come together and, of course, by making endless cups of tea and snacks - the list goes on.”

The family organised Pink it Up week and urged businesses in Pateley Bridge to go pink to mark Arlo’s first birthday on June 8.

“As a family we wanted to support this amazing Yorkshire charity by wearing pink and making everything as pink as possible,” added Katie and Jowayne.

“This way we can create a memento to look back at Arlo’s first birthday.”

So far, the couple have raised £1,000 by ‘pinking up’ Pateley and also by selling t-shirts to celebrate Arlo’s birthday during the Party in the Park Jubilee celebrations, giving the family and all their local supporters a reason to celebrate.

Shops have been ‘pinking up’ their windows with balloons, decorations and bunting made by volunteers in the community, while the Knit and Natter group knitted bunting for the Methodist Church and Sunflower Nursery painted their own with the help of children.

The local community has also come together to raise money by selling special buns and cakes at the local bakeries, cafes and sandwich shops; all to promote and raise money for Candlelighters.

The Yorkshire-based charity, which was formed 45 years ago, provides emotional, practical and financial support from diagnosis and for as long as is needed, as well as funding research into childhood cancers.

Each year, over 150 children in the county are diagnosed with cancer.