BLOWING raspberries of delight, one-year-old Malachi Moncrieffe makes his contribution to Keech Hospice Care’s carnival preparations.
Palm prints of little patients will feature on rainbows used to decorate their Wizard of Oz themed float. And Malachi’s will make a bright blue addition to the already colourful spectrum.
Keech community fundraiser Mark Relf said: “Carnival is such a big window for Luton, and for us, and we’ve chosen the Wizard of Oz and Yellow Brick Road theme because of the link with our Midnight Walk in September.
“We’ve had a presence at carnival for the past 20 years. But the children have only become really involved in the last 10.
“It’s an opportunity to get them and the carers to do something together. It’s a great team-building partnership.”
Staff and volunteers have been hard at work making blue birds to hang from the rainbows.
Student Heather Benge, 20, of Harpenden was on a placement. The trainee teacher said: “Keech is the sort of place that celebrates life. It’s been a fantastic experience for me.”
Ailsa Atherton, who runs Oasis in Hertford for youngsters with special needs, was cutting bird-shaped stencils.
She said: “I’m here because we don’t have a hospice in Hertfordshire and many of our children come to Keech. It’s so lovely to have this link.”
> Now watch Natalee Hazelwood’s touching video on www.lutontoday.co.uk
> For more carnival stuff, visit www2.lutontoday.co.uk/carnival2011