Seriously-ill child residents celebrate Christmas in summer at Ascot Racecourse

[Rob Thompson]

Seriously-ill child residents celebrate Christmas in summer at Ascot Racecourse

Source - Brackne News

By - Leon Riccio

Date - 05-08-2021

MORE THAN 100 families with seriously ill children took part in a Christmas event in the middle of summer, to make sure they get to enjoy the fun.

Sebastian's Action Trust, a Berkshire-based charity working along 'seriously ill' children from across the home counties, held the Christmas-themed event at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday, July 31.

The plan behind the unusually-timed event is to ensure that all of the 500 children get to experience Christmas again, as "for many of the children...waiting until December to enjoy Christmas may be just that little bit too long," the charity spokesman said.

The theme for this year’s event was ‘Carnival’, with families enjoying an afternoon of incredible entertainments, including fairground rides, games stalls, pony rides and a circus skills workshop, and most important of all, every child received a lovely Christmas present from Santa Claus himself.

The inspiration behind Christmas in July came from the charity’s young founder, Sebastian Gates, who sadly lost his battle against childhood cancer on Christmas Eve 2003.

Jane Gates OBE, Sebastian’s Action Trust’s CEO, and Sebastian’s mummy, said: “It is so important that charities like Sebastian’s Action Trust can continue to work and support families of seriously-ill children.

"For many, Saturday was not just a day out, it was a little bit of freedom, a day without the stresses of hospital appointments and fear of the virus.

"It was a day families could come together and make special memories and be together, which is what Sebastian’s Action Trust is all about.

"We cannot add days to lives, but we can and do, add days to lives”.

[Rob Thompson]

These are the sort of things that really do put my life and world into perspective. One can only but imagine what it must be like for families going through these experiences.

Superb effort from all those involved

Edited August 5, 2021 by Rob Thompson