Wellingborough-based charity Chelsea's Angels distributes funds after 13 years of creating smiles, making memories and offering support

Founders of a Wellingborough charity have hung up their wings for the last time after distributing their remaining funds to children’s charities.

Chelsea’s Angels was founded by Emma Knighton and her cousin Michelle Tomkins as a promise to help ‘poorly’ children made to Emma’s daughter Chelsea.

Little Chelsea Knighton died as a result of neuroblastoma in 2009 just one month before her fourth birthday – with a charity set up in her name by her grieving family.

Following the heart-breaking decision to close the charity the cousins have donated the funds charities that support children and families.

Michelle said: “It's been so hard for us both, very difficult seeing many of the charities we've worked with continuing their journey, it's like another loss for us.

“We miss so much of what we did, our event planning, the children, the social aspect too, as we held lots of community events.

“We created something we felt was so amazing and we kept it going for 13 years, so it is upsetting that we had to stop, but we know deep in our hearts we helped so many, which makes a lot of difference to a family when their child has cancer.”

Michelle says it has been even more difficult for Emma who feels like she failed Chelsea.

She said: “We always said we'd never give up, as Chelsea didn't. It was part of keeping Chelsea alive, a reason to get up and leave the house, meeting new people, making new friends, telling people about her little girl, and about childhood cancer. It gave her strength that people wanted to remember Chelsea too, even people who never got to meet Chelsea.

“But it was becoming so difficult to keep things going, emotionally and physically, we made the saddest decision that the only way to stop feeling like that was to close. Life is less stressful now, just a shame we had no other choice.”

Money has been given to new charities and local charities with similar aims.

Chelsea’s Angels funds have been donated to:

- The Never Alone Project supporting children who are grieving by offering many methods that will help them through their grief. Chelsea's sister, Shannon experienced huge loss seeing Chelsea so poorly – £3,000

- Ailsa's Aim supplying essential items to patients undergoing difficult diagnosis including that of cancer, difficulty in childbirth and parents of babies in special care – £3,000

- Zachary's Shack supporting the provision of a fully-equipped seaside respite caravan free of charge for families caring for terminally ill children and children with a life-limiting illness. Run by Emma's sister-in-law who also lost her child, Zachary to Neuroblastoma five years after Chelsea died – £6,000

- Iris Mae Butterflies supporting bereaved families, after loss of their baby either through ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy loss and neo-natal loss, with memory boxes – £3,000

- Jack's Journey supporting Cumbrian families who have received a cancer diagnosis and are currently, or have recently finished, cancer treatment. Jack's Journey provides holiday accommodation for families from across the north who are currently, or recently finished, cancer treatment - £3,000

As well as charities with similar aims to Chelsea’s Angels, donations of £500 have been made to Alice's Escapes, Maddi's Butterflies, A Child of Mine, Memory Boxes by Harvey Hext Trust, The Henry Allen Trust - Henry's Happiness, Taylor Made Dreams and The Indee Rose Trust.

Michelle and Emma have also donated £1,000 to Sebastian Nunney’s fighting fund – Sebastian’s dad Gregg had helped Chelsea’s Angels in their early days.

They said: “We saw Seb’s story and immediately wanted to help. Gregg was there at the beginning of our fundraising for Chelsea, so we wanted to give back as it was a situation we have found ourselves in back in 2008.

"It was important we gave a little support, as we knew what it would mean to them.”

Now the charity’s money has been donated, they will be winding-up Chelsea’s Angels leaving the pair with memories of helping hundreds of children and their families.

Michelle said: “We will remember so much. I think overall the Christmas Eve Boxes we provided and our Santa's grotto were our favourite.

“It was such hard work putting everything together but seeing the amazement in the children's faces, gave us a a warm feeling, we'd achieved something amazing.

“We also hold very dear memories of our team, the people that made all of support possible, they became very dear friends and we won't forget their dedication and determination. A lot of them had never met Chelsea but believed in our wish to keep a little girls legacy alive.

“Also the children we supported, seeing photos of them opening their gifts, on holiday, days out was so lovely and made us even more determined to keep helping others, like Chelsea.

“It brings a tear to my eye as it was a big part of our lives, and now it's gone.”

Over the 13 years of fundraising Chelsea’s Angels has supported more than 700 children, provided 520 care packs for hospital ward stays, given out 733 Christmas Eve boxes and raised more than £340,000.

They began with a couple of referrals a month from Clic Sargent – now Young Lives Vs Cancer – growing to up to 30 referrals a month.

The family kept the promise made to ‘brave, sassy’ Chelsea to help ‘poorly children’ just like her and their families.