Generous gesture meant youngsters could enjoy all the fun of the pantomime

The theatre was filled with laughs and giggles as a group of children who have been supported by a local charity enjoyed a trip to the pantomime.

The young people, who had all been supported by St Nicholas Hospice Care’s bereavement service for children and young people Nicky’s Way, attended the matinee performance of The Legend of Robin Hood at Bury’s Theatre Royal earlier this month (January 14).

The trip was made possible thanks to the generosity of Robert Baxter and Chassis Cab. They funded the occasion, with the theatre making the guests feel extra special by hosting a drinks reception, arranging for the children to meet the cast after the performance and gifting them with goody bags.

Abby Mayes, the hospice’s corporate fundraising manager, said: “I cannot thank Robert Baxter and Chassis Cab enough for their recent generosity.

“They are loyal supporters of the hospice all year round, but this latest gesture of funding a trip to the pantomime has made such a difference to a group of children that our Nicky’s Way service has supported.

“The children were all so excited, and they all had a wonderful time. The drinks reception and meeting the cast plus the goody bags made it extra special, so thank you, Theatre Royal, too.”

The Hospice’s Nicky’s Way service is an open-access service for bereaved children aged 4-18 years, where children can receive one-to-one therapeutic support and peer support in the form of group work. A prior connection or experience of the Hospice is not needed.

Emma Suckling, Head of Development at the Theatre Royal, said: “It was a real privilege to be able to welcome children supported by the Nicky’s Way programme to Theatre Royal to see our pantomime again this year.

“Robert Baxter and Chassis Cab, who also support Theatre Royal and our work on stage and in the community, have made this visit possible, and we offer them our heartfelt thanks as ever for their mighty support and care.”