Worthing charity swap shop is a thank you for baby's care

Kaylea Greenfield and Joanna Morgan hope to raise £500 for the Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton as a thank you for the care given to Joanna’s daughter Liana.

The event at Ultimate U Fitness, Woodside Road, Worthing, on Sunday, September 9, 10am to 2pm, follows a successful charity swap shop Kaylea held in April.

She explained: “My last swap shop raised £1,047 for St Barnabas House hospice, so my sisters and I are hosting a children’s event now.

“The idea is people pay a £10 donation as well as giving a bag of unwanted clothes or toys. This allows entry into the event and parents can then walk away with whatever they can carry on the day.

“I am hosting this as part of my business, Namaste Massage and Beauty Therapies, which is based in the gym. I think it’s important to give back to the community.

“We would like it to benefit as many families as possible, as lots of people struggle with the cost of clothing but at the event, they can walk away with many items by simply swapping.”

Liana was six-weeks premature and received treatment at birth, followed by a life-saving operation.

Joanna said: “My daughter went through five hours of surgery at just two days old, tubes everywhere, monitors beeping constantly. To this day that sound still makes my heart drop.

“Of course my husband and I were very worried but the staff were amazing and made sure the surgeon came and saw us. I knew my daughter was in safe hands and they took great care of her.”

Liana spent 17 days at the unit before being transferred to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital for recovery.

Joanna added: “We will always be forever grateful for everyone who cared for our daughter, who is now a bubbly three-year-old. Organising the charity clothes swap is a small way of repaying Trevor Mann for saving our Liana.

“We are also hoping we can share some of the funds with Ronald McDonald House Charities, who housed us while Liana was in hospital. They took a little bit of stress off us and made our hospital stay more bearable.”

Payments can be made online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joanna-morgan1984 or on the door. The swap shop is for children’s clothes aged up to ten, toys and accessories, like muslins and sleeping bags.

Online resource for West Sussex parents wins national award

Head shave at Dunelm Rustington beats its charity target

Full peal of bells for Worthing centenarian