Around sixty people gave up their free time last Saturday – cutting, pressing and sewing at Writhlington School as part of a ‘pyjamathon’, in memory of former pupil and Frome teenager, Lucia Robinson, on what would have been her seventeenth birthday.

Lucia’s parents organised the event in honour of their fundraising daughter, who passed away in June last year aged sixteen. During her year-long battle with cancer she raised thousands of pounds for children’s cancer charities, organised a fundraising fun run and bought Christmas presents for every child on her ward.

Her parents, Paul and Melina, organised the event to make pyjamas that are specially designed to be used by children in hospital. They have a tie front to make examinations and procedures less invasive and stressful. Each set is made individually by hand by volunteer members of a charity called ‘Wrap Pyjama Fairies’, who also created the design that was used last Saturday.

“When she was in the hospice, Lucia worried for the children who would struggle to understand why their lives were cut short. She wanted to hold their hands,” Melina explained. “Lucia would have loved this project. It’s making something that is useful but also fun, and the children who receive the pyjamas love them, as well as benefiting from the practical design.”

The pyjamathon, which ran from 8 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., was a drop-in event. More than fifty sets of pyjamas were completed. Paul and Melina would like to get the total up to 100 pairs. If you can sew and would like to be involved, please email them at: [email protected]