After winning the Everyday Hero Award last year in the individual fundraiser of the year category, Frankie Pickup, 10, from Bedford, is onto her next challenge.
The ten-year-old won Bedford Independent’s award for her efforts in “learning 70 signs for Embrace Charity’s 70th Anniversary, raising over £1,500.”
Read: A night to remember with Borough’s Everyday Heroes recognised as the “spirit of Bedford”
Frankie and her mum, Lauren Pickup, 44, are now fundraising for a new air conditioning system for Frankie’s school – the Ridgeway School in Kempston, ‘to provide a more comfortable learning environment for all kids.’
“We’re on to the next challenge already.
“This time, though, for her school, Frankie goes to a special needs school, which is tiny. They’ve got like 120 kids, so they just don’t have enough money for anything. So, at the moment, we’re fundraising for that,” explains Lauren.
To raise money for the air conditioning system, Frankie will read 50 books by signing.
Donate: Frankie and Arabella’s fundraiser for Ridgeway School
The mother and daughter are still helping out with Embrace – a charity close to their hearts, that they have been with since Frankie was a baby and which Frankie raised £1,500 for last year.
“If it wasn’t for this charity, we wouldn’t have access to different services.
“They just mean a lot to us as a family, from all like Frankie’s independence and friendships, but also my ability to work and the whole being in contact with other families that you know go through something similar and being a resource for us.”
To mark the Embrace charity’s 70th anniversary last year, Frankie decided to learn 70 new signs to raise money for the charity, and the recognition of this remarkable act led to an Everyday Heroes Award win.
“She is a superhero”
Frankie is non-verbal due to her cerebral palsy and communicates in signs.
She was unable to attend the scheduled award ceremony, so the Bedford Independent and Harpur Trust, in partnership with The Quarry Theatre, Bedford School, and category sponsor Woodfines, organised a private event for her at a later date.
Attending to help make sure Frankie was treated like a superhero was also Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Nick Kier, and she was chauffeured to and from her home in a Rolls-Royce, thanks to local businessman Russell Beard.
Winning the award, Lauren says, was a huge moment for her and her family.
“She has signed quite a few times about being a superhero. So, I think in her mind that’s how she saw the award as being recognised as an actual superhero, and I think she would tell me that she is a superhero.”
Frankie’s mum added, “I’m really proud of her.
“When you’ve got cerebral palsy, and you’re a non-verbal signer, you’re sort of the person everybody feels a bit sorry for, that you’ve got a really hard deck of cards to deal with in life.
“But doing something that’s quite empowering, Frankie was able to do it and give back, and I think that was just a really lovely thing to do for her and her sense of belonging in the community,” said Lauren.
The Bedford Independent Everyday Hero Awards are returning once again next year, with nominations now open to recognise those in our community who go above and beyond for the people of Bedford.
Make your nomination through our simple-to-fill-in form below or here and help say “thank you” to the unsung heroes in our local community who go the extra mile to make a difference in Bedford.
