Carrick schoolgirl raises £38,000 for NI Children's Hospice

Year 10 Carrickfergus Academy pupil Madison Wright swapped the classroom for the ballroom recently, hosting a black-tie gala ball to mark 21 years of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice in theTitanic Suite at Titanic, Belfast.

Inspired by the story of Carrick brother and sister Noah and Gracie Coates, who both suffered from the life-limiting, genetic disease Leukodystrophy, Madison’s fundraising journey began when she was a 10-year-old pupil at Central Integrated Primary.

Appointed the first ever Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice Youth Ambassador in June 2020, Madison had already raised £15,000 for the charity before setting her sights on her biggest fundraiser to date.

Commenting on her latest initiative, which has added £37,750 to the £15,000, Madison said: “When I heard about Noah and Gracie I just wanted to help. It all started with non-uniform days at school, hosting coffee mornings, where and when I could and even sponsored leg waxes.

"People have always been so generous with their support and donations which is what encouraged me to think bigger.

“Noah sadly passed away in 2019 and I was keen to celebrate his life and do something in his honour. I floated the idea of a gala ball with my mum and dad and they, as always, told me to go for it.

"Lockdown caused a bit of a delay but the planning meant we had something positive to work towards and the dates actually coincided with what would have been Noah’s 16th birthday weekend.”

NI Hospice Chief Executive, Heather Weir, congratulated Madison saying: “We are all so proud of our youth ambassador Madison for her wonderful achievement with the gala ball.

“This has taken many months of planning and lots of hard work. Madison’s dedication to the Children’s Hospice really is admirable. We are so grateful for the amazing amount of money raised and, on behalf of everyone at Hospice, I want to thank Madison, Matthew and Angela Wright for their ongoing support.

“We’re facing an extremely difficult time due to the current economic climate and it is only through the generosity of local people like the Wright family that we will be able to continue to deliver our vital care services.”