Competitions launched to raise money for disabled Hailsham boy

Fundraising for Tiger Pelling, aged seven, has really taken off as a number of local businesses support him in an effort to pay for much-needed home adaptations.

The fundraising page, which was set up by family friend Adele Dickinson, has now reached more than £12,000.

Sid Pelling, Tiger’s dad, says that a number of builders and traders have been in touch to offer materials and labour too.

Victoria Lily Events, a company based in Hailsham, provided a bell tent in the summer for Katie and Tilly Pelling – Tiger’s mum and sister – to give them ‘a little bit of respite’.

The giveaway offers people a luxury hot tub weekend worth £150. Everyone who donates £10 or more from now until December 13 via the funding page will be entered into the prize draw.

The owner of the company Vicki Brown said, “We were contacted by Sid Pelling, Tiger’s dad, in the summer for a last minute bell tent hire for his wife and daughter as Tiger’s planned respite for a week had fallen through meaning the plans they had to take their daughter out on trips had fallen through as they couldn’t accommodate taking Tiger with them.

“We set it up as a surprise for them in their garden and it was a hit. Hire was for three nights but their daughter loved it so much, we let them keep it for a week.

“We then saw the fundraiser being launched via Facebook and wanted to help.

“We usually offer two charity events a year with our photo booths but these haven’t happened due to Covid so when I saw this I just wanted to give back to a local family.

“It’s only a small gesture on our part but anything to help raise awareness.”

Frenchies Homeware & Gifts, an interiors shop based in Polegate, has put together a hamper worth more than £100 to be won as a way of raising money for Tiger.

The shop posted on Facebook, “This Christmas we would like to give a little something back to a lovely family who so deserve all the help they can get.”

Tickets are £5 each to enter, and the raffle will be drawn on Christmas Eve by the Pelling family.

Julianne French, who owns Frenchies, said, “I have known the Pelling family for many years and have witnessed the struggles they have had to go through physically and emotionally so the raffle will raise money for the family to help them achieve their dreams and journey to improve their day-to-day care of Tiger.”

Baked Wright in Eastbourne, a cupcake shop, is offering a ‘chocolate overload cake’ to one of the people who donates to the cause this week.

The shop has asked people to donate and post on the shop’s Facebook page to be entered. The draw will be this Saturday (December 12).

Shop owner Paula Wright said, “I have got involved because I have grandchildren myself and if we was in a similar situation I would hope people would reach out and help us.

“It’s so important to help if you can and I bake, so making a cake to donate for free and encourage people to donate to Tiger’s funding page is a small way of helping.”

For more information on the giveaways go to each company’s Facebook page.

A friend of Tilly Pelling, Kiera Warner, is an 11-year-old baking to fundraise for the family.

Kiera said, “I love to bake and wanted to do something to help towards the adaptations for Tiger’s home with his family. I decided to offer to bake some trays of brownies and cupcakes to sell and donate the money raised. I have got 35 orders so far and I’m very excited to make these for such a good cause.”

Go to Kiera’s Instagram page to find out how and when to order from her: kieras_kitchen2020

Finally, Michael Duncan is holding a 24-hour DJ set running from midday on December 19.

For anyone wanting to access the live set and donate, he will be streaming through his Mixcloud account called DJDUNK28. People can download the Mixcloud app for free to see this.

Michael said, “People will get a notification to say when I go live and can come on the group chat, make requests and of course donate to this amazing cause.

“In terms of the set, I’ll be playing all types of music from the 70s right through to the present day and requests are more than welcome. I’m hoping to maybe get a small raffle put together in time so that all the money raised from tickets goes straight to the charity. I will keep everyone posted online about this.”

For more information about the DJ set head to the Synthesize Events Facebook page.

Tiger’s funding page: https://gf.me/u/zaig3p

Fundraising for Tiger Pelling