THE feeling of a Northwich group being able to help children 4,737 miles away must be quite strange.

But that is the exact emotion that Northwich Ladies Circle must get used to, as their fundraising – by walking up Snowdon last Saturday – has helped raise money for Charity World.

The charity provides schooling to street children and families living in poor rural regions in India, whose families cannot afford good quality education.

“With everything that’s going on at the minute I think they need quite a lot of help,” said Lornna Aston-Perry, chair of Northwich Ladies Circle.

The women’s organisation has been around for nearly 75 years and Lornna has been a part of it for three years. Each year the chair gets to choose the charity they fund-raise for and Lornna chose a charity she cares greatly about.

She continued: “It’s just breaking the cycle to help that child to eventually pave the way for themselves so they don’t have children who become street children, they have an education.

“Charity World will also see these children through to university if needed so they will be able to provide better schooling, school uniforms and give them education.”

The charity is particularly close to Lornna’s heart as she is a foster carer herself, and Charity World offers support to these families in the form of guidance, training and financial help to ensure they can continue to make life a changing impact for these children.

Lornna – a Northwich resident of 18 years – added: “I know we’re only a small island and the world is such a big place, but doing something like this can bring the world together.

“We’ve all shared something that we never thought would bring us together and that is Covid, we’re all struggling.

"We’re all fighting through it but these children that are now homeless and have no education, the fact that if we raise £150 that can be a computer for a school or put one child in education for one year, that’s making such a massive difference to their little lives.

“In Northwich, if we can all come together, find as many pennies or as many pounds as we can, then we’re maybe changing one child’s life a day. And that’s a phenomenal thing to feel – to think we’re doing that for somebody.

They have raised more than £635 following the completion of Snowdon by Lornna, Caroline Easton, Katie Jones, Ruth Funnell, Natalia Janik and Tim McArdle from Charity World.

Lornna, who lives in the Winnington area, added: “I am determined to do everything I can to raise as much money as possible to help the children now living without loved ones and possibly on the streets.

Lornna is appreciative of any donations, small or large.

“My little boy came to me and gave me 55p, so we have raised £240 and 55p and I think that speaks volumes. Whatever we can do and however much we can raise I know that the charity will be eternally grateful and I’m sure these children will as well.”

Donations can be made here.