New charity that supports young people with special educational needs formed in Corby
A new charity that strives to make a difference in the lives of Corby under-25s with special educational needs has been formed.
Zak's Wish was started by Vikki Fairhurst, her husband James Fairhurst and Margaret Final. The charity is named after Vikki and James’ late son and Hannah’s brother Zak who passed away in 2022.
Zak had quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy, global development delay and scoliosis but was a ‘larger than life cheeky monkey who had many adventures, even with his disabilities and loved life to its fullest’.
The family is committed to spreading joy in his memory and providing support to young individuals and their families.
The mission of the trustees at Zak's Wish is to provide various small grants to young people up to 25-years-old with special educational needs (SEN) or life-limiting illnesses.
Vikki said: “Our grants are designed to fund equipment that facilitates easier day-to-day living.
“Additionally, we offer discretionary grants to support parents who need to stay away from home with their young person, covering expenses such as petrol, hotel stays, or even just a hot meal.”
Last year Vikki and her family transformed their garage in Staffa Walk into Santa’s grotto and held sessions to raise money for Zachary’s Shack, a charity that had helped them in the past.
300 children were welcomed into the grotto and according to Vikki, they had zero complaints. They’ve already got plans to bring it back for this year, bigger and better than ever.
Vikki said: “We are thrilled to report that our Zak's Christmas Experience last year was a tremendous success. Building on that momentum, we are already planning an even more enchanting event for this year’s festive season.
“In the meantime, we are gearing up for our first official event, Zak's Wish Summer Jam.”
Zak’s Wish Summer Jam will be held on Friday, August 2 at The Grampian from 7pm to midnight.
The event is designed to bring together the community for a day of fun, fundraising and spreading awareness about their cause.
The day will feature an exciting line-up including Just Karen, Andrew Wookey Magic, Millie's Melts and Glitter Tattoos, Vikings of Mercia, and Sleipnir Creations CIC. They will also have a DJ, kids' games, karaoke, tombolas, raffles and hotdogs for sale.
For more information visit zakswish.co.uk.