Fenland firm Bellman's Baguette Bar serves up a slice of cash for Wisbech schoolgirl's wheelchair appeal

A family run catering business has given a boost to an appeal aimed at providing Wisbech schoolgirl Sophie Clarke with a sports wheelchair.

Bellman's Baguette Bar, which has branches in Wisbech, March and Godmanchester, have donated £100 to Sophie to help towards buying the specialist wheelchair, which will enable her to join in PE lessons at Thomas Clarkson Academy.

Sophie, who together with her twin brother Lewis, has cerebral palsy, is unable to walk unaided and uses a K-Walker and power chair to get around. Lewis is luckier and is able to walk and join in sports at school.

The 12-year-olds are both very active thanks to the encouragement of their parents Mandy Seaton and Barry Clarke but while Sophie's current wheelchair is great for getting her about it is too heavy for sports, which is why an appeal was launched at the end of last month to buy her light-weight sporting wheelchair..

Bellman's is run by brothers Adam, Paul and Daniel Beebe, who are all dads, and Adam, who presented Sophie with the cash when she popped into the Wisbech branch in Elm Road, explained her story had touched the family.

"We are a large family with lots of children, and we like to help good causes that involve children, we can't help every appeal, but we really wanted to do something for Sophie, her story touched us and made us realise how lucky we are,"said Adam.

Mandy said: "We would just like to say thank-you to Adam and his brothers, we are grateful for their donation."

The fundraising effort was launched by friends of Mandy's from the local darts league.

Mandy is currently a member of the Five Bells darts team at Tydd Gote. Fellow member of the ‘Fen Ladies Darts League’ Pippa Cable, who plays for Wisbech Working Men’s Club, wanted to raise money to help Sophie and Lewis.

The darts players are being supported by local fundraiser Betty Cunningham, who is planning a charity bingo in aid of Sophie’s appeal. She also knows Mandy and the twins through darts.

Pippa and Betty are being joined by another darts player, Maxine Stanford, in organising the bingo, which will be held at Emneth Central Hall, on Thursday, March 12, doors open at 6pm, and the bingo starts at7pm.