Blaston Show’s committee has named Wishes 4 Kids as the main beneficiary of proceeds raised at this year’s Show, which takes place on Sunday 30th June.

Wishes 4 Kids is a wish granting Charity for children in the Leicestershire area, or being treated in a Leicestershire hospital, who are life-limited, terminally ill, or have suffered severe abuse or life changing physical and emotional traumas. Since the charity was founded in 2002 it has granted over 5300 wishes, averaging a wish a day.

Children are referred to Wishes 4 Kids through numerous routes, such as family, social services and schools. They are asked to complete a ‘wish application’, listing three experiences that they would like; the charity then sets out to grant at least one of these wishes. Not surprisingly, requests are diverse – from meeting a celebrity or visiting a theme park to driving a tank.

Wishes 4 Kids is funded entirely by the public and local businesses; without their generosity the wishes could not be granted. The children and their families are also invited to events and activities, enabling them to spend fun time together.

Charity Manager, Gary Lowe, commented: “I would like to say, on behalf of the Charity, a very big thank you to everybody involved with Blaston Show for choosing Wishes 4 Kids as your nominated Charity. It means so much to us, and will be an enormous help with our fundraising, enabling us to grant yet more wishes, and make more children’s dreams come true.

“Sadly, we do not have a magical cure for these children, but we are privileged to be able to see the joy and happiness that a granted wish brings. They temporarily forget they are ill or undergoing treatment, it’s amazing how much effect their wish has on them. That is the magic.”

Janette Stocks, on behalf of the show organisers, the Blaston & District Agricultural Society, added: “Wishes 4 Kids is a very worthwhile cause, and one that we are delighted to support. Raising funds for local charities is one of Blaston Show’s raison d’etres; we have given away in excess of £25,000 in recent years, as well as raising awareness for the work that our chosen charities do. I very much look forward to welcoming representatives of Wishes 4 Kids to this year’s event.”