Cornish great-grandmother raises £100k for charity before her 100th birthday
Edna has been raising money for the Merlin MS Centre
A great-grandmother from Cornwall has managed to raise £100,000 for charity before her 100th birthday.
Edna Liddicoat, who lives near St Austell, has been raising money for the Merlin MS Centre since 2002.
By her 99th birthday on November 5th 2021, she had already raised an incredible £95,000.
Her mission was to reach £100,000 before her 100th birthday and thanks to the generosity of family and friends she hit her target just a few weeks later.
For the past 20 Christmases’ and Easters Edna’s house and that of her friends have been filled with the sound of needles knitting literally thousands of chicks, Santa’s and snowmen ready to be stuffed with a festive chocolate and sold in shops across the county to raise money for the neurological charity based in Hewas Water.
Edna’s dedication to raising funds is for a reason close to her heart. Her granddaughter Karen, a former nurse, lived with Multiple Sclerosis for many years and benefited from many of the services offered by the purpose-built facility.
Karen sadly passed away in 2014 aged just 44 but the family vowed to carry on raising funds in her memory.
Edna said: “We have 500 knitted figures ready to go but I am determined to get another 500 made and sold before Christmas. I couldn’t do any of this without my wonderful family and friends. Those that don’t knit, sell and those who don’t sell, buy the chocolates!”
The team at the Merlin MS Centre said: "A huge thank you to Edna and everyone who has supported her, your dedication to our charity has made and continues to make such an incredible difference!"
If you would like to sell some of Edna’s knitted santas in your shop or business this Christmas, please contact ellie@merlinmscentre.org.uk