Lily May Boutique fashion show raises nearly £700 for the GEM Appeal

Date published: 04 November 2021

Heywood’s Lily May Boutique hosted a successful fashion show in aid of the GEM Appeal charity on Thursday 21 October, which raised a total of £668.

Held at Hopwood Unionist Club at Manchester Road, Heywood, the show got underway at 7.45pm, organised by the Lily May duo Wendy Moore and Caz Fletcher, who is also a GEM Appeal committee member.

Not only did the duo provide all the need-to-know knowledge about the clothing but also provided very well received humour in their commentary together with a surprise visit from a fabulous guest.

Karen Johnson, founder of the GEM Appeal, was one of the models on the night, with each of the models sparkling on the catwalk all on behalf of the local charity.

At the end of the show all sixty ladies in attendance were invited to purchase the items that had been modelled.

A representative for the GEM Appeal said: “We would like to thank Hopwood Unionists for the use of their facilities, the models who donated their time and efforts, all the people who came and supported the evening, and in particular Wendy and Caz of Lily May Boutique.

“Thank you all for a brilliant night.”

The GEM Appeal (‘Genetics. Enzymes. Metabolics.’) was founded in 1994 by Rochdale mum Karen Johnson whose sons, Simon and Mikey, were born with Hunter Syndrome – a rare inherited disorder caused by missing or malfunctioning enzymes. There was no cure and no treatment available for the boys at the time, and any research being done was underfunded and slow.

Devastated by the news but unwilling to go down without a fight, Karen started fundraising to raise money to hopefully extend the Willink Laboratory at The Pendlebury Children’s Hospital in Manchester to fund the research and find a treatment that her boys, and other children like them, so desperately needed.

Tragically, both boys lost their lives to the incurable disease at the age of 12, but the GEM Appeal continued to grow from strength to strength in their memory.

Run entirely by volunteers, the GEM Appeal has now raised over £3 million towards funding research into and finding cures for genetic diseases.

So far, the money raised has built a research and treatment unit for The Willink Unit as well as purchasing much-needed medical equipment, to help research, diagnose and treat children and young people with rare genetic and metabolic disorders which were previously incurable.

Because of the money raised by the GEM Appeal, children are living longer healthier lives and the future is now more positive for those diagnosed.

Two more fundraisers will be held before the end of 2021 to support the GEM Appeal including a Festive Afternoon Tea at Mercure Norton Grange Hotel and Spa on Saturday 4 December and the charity’s annual ball hosted by patron Denise Welch. With the theme ‘Hooray for Hollywood’, the annual ball this year will be the GEM Appeal’s 20th, to be held at The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester on Saturday 20 November.