Two days of feasting on tea and cake in Windermere raised more than £800 for charity.
A tea party at Windermere preparatory school was followed by an afternoon tea at the Cedar Manor hotel, both events organised by the hotel’s owner, Caroline Kaye.
The money raised is going to fund research into the causes and possible cures for lupus, a condition suffered by Caroline’s 21 year old daughter, Natalie.
Caroline is also in training for the Great North Run to raise further funds for the cause.
The school tea party raised more than £400 thanks to the generosity of the parents, teachers and friends, many of whom donated cakes.
The baking for the hotel afternoon tea was done by sous chef Michael Vango, along with friends of Caroline and her husband Jonathan, and visitors there raised almost another £400.
Lupus is a chronic and presently-incurable illness of the immune system, a condition in which the body’s defence mechanism begins to attack itself through an excess of antibodies in the blood stream.
It causes inflammation and damage in the joints, muscles and other organs. Caroline said: “Natalie was diagnosed when she was 15, but it had taken two years to identify from when she first showed symptoms.
“That’s not unusual as the condition is very difficult to identify. We are helping the charity in their attempts to research the causes, and possible treatments, for Lupus.”
Natalie is a beauty advisor and make-up artist for Estee Lauder at Selfridges in London. Younger sister Elizabeth, 8, a pupil at Windermere School, is playing her part by helping Caroline’s training efforts – she goes alongside on her bicycle when mum goes for a run.
Caroline has done just two races so far, 10k trail events at Coniston and Derwentwater. After surgery for a knee problem last year, she’s back in training and confident of achieving her goal at the famous north east race
She said: “Local people, and our visitors, have been very generous. I know that there are many demands on people’s kindness. We have raised money, and just as importantly, we have raised awareness about the condition.”
Caroline can be sponsored at http://www.justgiving.com/CarolineKaye
northwestnewsandfeatures.wordpress.com 