On a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon in Cleveleys on the Lancashire Fylde Coast, just north of Blackpool, the very impressive Kindness Counts UK charity threw open its doors for an afternoon of fun, music, cakes and fundraising. Invited along to the event was the Mayor of Wyre, Councillor Steve Nichols, along with North Fylde Group Chairman Eddie Wilkinson and group vice chairman John Topping.
Eddie and John were accompanied by past group chairman John Cross, who has worked closely with the charity over many years. Also in attendance were Keith Carter, Del Hernen, Polly Hernen along with Kevin Frost of the Blood Bikes charity.
Kindness Counts UK was set up by Michelle Carter during 2019 in her bedroom at home and has grown to provide facilities for children from all over the Fylde coast and to be a familiar presence in Victoria Road West in Cleveleys. The community hub opened there in 2023, providing counselling and sensory rooms for young people affected by bullying and other concerns such as family separation or fears of violence in the streets.
A thriving charity shop next door followed, providing vital funds for the charity and now Kindness Counts UK has grown again, with a third hub next door offering soft play, a classroom, group room, reading room and a sensory ball pit is also available to local nurseries.
Michelle says she is grateful to everyone who has supported the charity’s funding of the new hub and she is delighted that it is available to enjoy just as the school summer holidays are about to start. The charity’s services continue at all times throughout the year.
Michelle explained that in an increasingly interconnected world, the significance of fostering kindness cannot be overstated. As an anti-bullying children’s charity, Kindness Counts UK is dedicated to providing essential resources that promote kindness in local schools and communities. She continued by saying that schools are microcosms of the larger community and the values instilled in students often resonate beyond school walls.
By promoting kindness in schools, the groundwork for a more inclusive and accommodating society can be laid. Community engagement plays a crucial role here; initiatives that involve parents, local organisations and other stakeholders can strengthen the message of kindness and collective responsibility.
This was well received and recognised by John Topping, who has spent half of his 39-year working career in Blackpool high schools in leadership roles working with agencies, trying to combat the perils of knife crime and instilling in the schools a strong community engagement approach to embedding a range of anti-bullying strategies.
Kindness Counts UK is always in need of charitable funds to continue its work and to maintain the presence it has on the high street of Cleveleys. Michelle Carter and her team of volunteers are very happy to visit any Fylde Coast lodge or chapter meeting to explain the work of Kindness Counts UK and how it has significantly improved the lives of numerous vulnerable young people and also some of its hard-working volunteer members and their children.
For further information regarding how to support this Fylde Coast charity, visit www.kindnesscountsuk.org.uk or to arrange for the team to visit a lodge or chapter meeting, please email michellekindnesscountsuk@gmail.com or pollykindnesscountsuk@gmail.com
