Florrie's fun day in Morecambe raises an incredible £4k and parents are 'blown away' by the support shown

More than 300 people attended the one day fundraiser at St Christopher's Church Hall, in Morecambe, where they enjoyed a series of attractions.

The event was organised by Morecambe couple Jake (33) and Emma Taylor (31) to mark the tragic loss on what would have been their beloved daughter, Florrie's third birthday.

In January 2019, Emma, who was two weeks overdue with her second baby, Florrie, and with no complications during the pregnancy, was told by a midwife the devastating news that her baby’s heart had stopped. Amid the grief, the following day Florrie was born at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, where she was delivered with the support of an amazing team of bereavement midwives and doctors.

For the past three years, Jake and Emma, along with their 10-year-old daughter, Imogen, have sought to find positives in the achingly sad situation by raising thousands of pounds for baby loss charities, Sands, Abigail's Footsteps and Tigerlily Trust.

In March last year, the family welcomed their "rainbow baby" Freddie. The 10-month-old bundle of joy is thriving.

The couple, who find comfort in fundraising, hoped to raise as much as possible to mark Florrie's third birthday and were delighted with the amazing response.

Emma said: "We had over 300 people through the doors at St Christopher's Church Hall. In fact, we lost count after 300! A huge thank you to everyone that came along on the day and supported the event. We were blown away by the response we had! By purchasing raffle tickets, joining in with the fun games and enjoying some tasty treats, everyone helped us to raise an incredible £3, 988.81.

"We couldn't have made the event happen without 'Team Florrie' behind us. Our family and friends were incredible in helping us to ensure everything ran smoothly on the day. Our good friends Rachael and Ryan Wilkinson were incredible in supporting us to plan the event from beginning to end. And we are so grateful to all of the local businesses who supported us in donating raffle prizes, we were truly overwhelmed by the generosity."

Emma added: "A massive thank you to R Leisure Hire for providing us with some fantastic equipment for the children to enjoy, this included a bouncy castle, soft play and ride on toys. These were thoroughly enjoyed on the day! Huge thanks also to Deluxe Designs & Luxury Igloos, Hartbeeps and Paige Paints. We know the three charities will benefit hugely from the money raised.

"Fundraising in Florrie's memory is becoming an annual tradition. Next year might just get bigger!"