The Anna Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust
1315. Chris Wilkinson
1316. Wendy Wilkinson
Chris and Wendy Wilkinson, from Worcestershire, gift days out, such as theatre trips or fine dining experiences, to young people with cancer, in memory of their daughter, Anna, who died of brain cancer aged 16.
To fundraise for the charity, Chris and Wendy launched a unique fundraiser encouraging politicians, celebrities and high-profile public figures to draw a doodle image which are later exhibited and sold at auction. At a recent fundraiser, a doodle by Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised the highest bid for ‘The Anna Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust’.
In a personal letter to Chris and Wendy, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you have taken the worst loss imaginable, following Anna’s tragic death, and used her legacy to support other young people through their cancer treatment. The memories you create for these families will stay with them forever and I was honoured to have helped raise funds in Anna’s name.”
Chris and Wendy said:
“We are delighted to have been awarded the Prime Minister’s Points of Light award. We set up ‘The Anna Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust’ in 2016 following the death of our beautiful daughter, Anna, who died at the age of 16 from a brain tumour. We wanted to try and help other families that were going through similar sadnesses in their lives by organising day trips, events, shows and dining experiences for young people aged 16-24 with a cancer diagnosis and their families, giving them treasured moments to share and take their minds off the situation they are facing. We haven’t done this alone, Anna’s sisters, Jessica and Elizabeth have helped us set up the charity and we have been supported by a team of trustees who are all close friends and have carried us through the last few years. The charity has helped many young people but it has also helped us to know that something so good can come from something so tragic.”