Out of sadness – a great event to pull the community together.

Here’s a bit of a headsup and an appeal for help in advance for a wonderful event coming up in a couple of weeks to celebrate the life of Mylee Billigham, and who is being remembered throughout the area with a wonderful display of pink ribbons and bows.

The murder on January 2oth has left the community in a state of shock and sadness, but people have pulled together to raise funds for the family and remember the eight your old.

With that in mind on Sunday February 18th 2018, from 1pm-5pm at St. James Church Hall, Brownhills there will be a fun day to remember Mylee, which will be free to enter and a whole host of fun attractions will be taking place – bouncy castles, stalls, raffles, games, rodeo bull, food and drink, balloons, cakes and more.

The local community and businesses have really pulled together in this time of adversity and sadness – I’m astonished at the effort that’s gone into this event and other activities going on in memory of Mylee.

If you want to find out more, or can help with attractions, stalls, raffle donations or other help, you can visit the event Facebook page here or the Mylee Fundraising group here.

You can donate to the fund in Mylee’s memory directly here.

I’d hereby like to than Caroline Jayne Watkinson, Jodie Worrall and Holly Sowden Sault for their work with this. True community spirits and people that Brownhills can be really proud of.

There’s been a great article about the Fun Day and fundraising efforts at the Birmingham Mail – you can read the full article here – but I include a shortened version below.

Pink bows adorn the area in memory of Mylee. Image from Lisa Hughes.

Family Fun Day launched in memory of tragic Mylee Billingham

Friends and neighbours heartbroken by little Mylee Billingham’s death have rallied together to put on a family fundraising day in her name.

Mylee’s Day has been set up to raise money for the family after the eight-year-old was found with stab wounds at a bungalow in Valley View, Brownhills, near Walsall, on January 20.She died later in hospital and a 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Friend and neighbour Caroline Watkinson decided to put on a raffle to try raise money for mum Tracey Taundry and her two children following the tragedy.

But she was inundated by people in the community wanting to help out and so they decided to stage a fundraising day.

Mylee’s Day will happen on February 18, from 1 to 5pm at St James Church Hall, Vicarage Road, Brownhills.

Friend and neighbour Caroline Watkinson decided to put on a raffle to try raise money for mum Tracey Taundry and her two children following the tragedy.

But she was inundated by people in the community wanting to help out and so they decided to stage a fundraising day.

Mylee’s Day will happen on February 18, from 1 to 5pm at St James Church Hall, Vicarage Road, Brownhills.

“It started off with a raffle and then we came up with the idea of a whole day of fundraising,” said Caroline, from Brownhills.

“We’ve been inundated, the response has been phenomenal, the kindness of people is amazing.

“Tracey grew up on my road, she is like one of my children.

“She’s happy that we’re doing this for the family.”

There will be free entry to the family day and it will feature a:

• Bouncy castle
• Rodeo bull
• Magician
• Clown
• Balloon drop
• Guess the weight of the cake stall
• Tombola
• Auction
• Raffle
• Name the teddy stall
• Beauty stall
• Food and drinks stalls

“It will be a traditional fun day with loads to do for all the family,” said Caroline.

“Everyone has been so kind. The bouncy castle and rodeo bull are being donated for free and the burger van is coming for free and giving us a percentage of his takings, it’s the same with the sweet stall too.

“We’re being given free use of the church hall too.

“I have to stress it’s not just me doing this, so many people have come together to raise money for the family.”

Since Mylee’s death, people in the community have been making and wearing pink bows in a display of solidarity following the shock of the little girl’s death.

“We’ve all got pink bows on our doors, we’ve made stickers for cars and we hope everyone will wear pink bows to Mylee’s Day too,” added Caroline.

Local businesses have got involved, with 50 fundraising tins being held in restaurants, cafes and pubs.

Baby shop Bonnie Babies in Bloxwich has donated a Silver Cross pram and a Reborn doll for an online raffle, the latter of which has already raised a whopping £750.

The group, which also includes neighbours Diane Smith and Jodie Worrall, have also been emailing local companies to get involved and are hoping to get some footballers or local celebs on board too.

A GoFundMe page has already raised nearly £3,000 for Mylee’s family. Find out more here.

“I’m proud to be from Brownhills,” said Caroline.

“People have been in touch offering everything from designer bags to champagne for us to raffle off.

“I think every hairdressers in Brownhills has offered us a voucher for a free cut and blow dry, and we’ve been given a tattoo voucher too.

“Some people have done a 10 mile sponsored walk in the rain.“I’m really proud of our community and how everyone has pulled together to help.

“We hope to raise lots of money to help the family in any way we can.”

Find out more by visiting Mylee’s Fundraising Group on Facebook.

Posters are up in local businesses – please support this wonderful event. Image by Agnes Mathieson.