Janine Bates![]()
It is with great sadness we announce that our dear friend and colleague Janine Bates sadly passed away on Tuesday 19th August. Janine worked voluntarily for our Charity for nearly 23 years, dedicated to putting smiles on the faces of our wish children and helping them to create magical memories that will last forever. Janine was a wonderful, kind, selfless lady who had the biggest heart and would do anything for anyone. She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her and she will never be forgotten❤️
On Tuesday Wishes 4 Kids invited 100 wish children, along with their families, to attend our spectacular Race Day at Everyman Racing at Prestwold Hall. Each child enjoyed being driven around the race track at very high speeds in their very best supercars which included an Ariel Atom, Nissan GTR, Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari 430 and Lamborghini. The children were fearless and just wanted to go faster and faster!!! Each ride was recorded and every child was given a free memory stick to keep so that they can watch back each of their fast rides. We were also joined by our friends at the Police who bought a Police car and Police vans for the children to sit in and our the Loughborough Fire Service who showed the children around their Fire Engines.
We cannot thank the staff at Everyman Racing enough for all of their hard work, hospitality and care shown to each and every child. The whole team were amazing, including all of the drivers who could not do enough for our children. The reaction on every single child’s face shows how much the day meant to them. We would also like to say a very big thank you to Paul McKenna for the incredible photos (all photos can be found on a separate post) and to our amazing volunteers for all of their help on the day.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their experience and we hope it is something that our families will remember forever❤️
Our latest wish was to send an incredible little girl and her lovely family for a 3 day VIP stay at Disneyland Paris. We picked them up from the airport last night and it was heartwarming to see how happy they all were and what their magical experience meant to them all. The family sent us this message:![]()
I wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for everything you and the team have done in granting our daughter's wish. What you gave her—and us as a family—was so much more than a gift. It was a time of pure joy, and we will cherish those memories forever.
Hearing the kids’ laughter and seeing them enjoy themselves—something we once feared we might never see—was truly priceless. You gave us all memories overflowing with happiness and love.
Please know that everyone’s kindness has touched our hearts in ways words can't describe. We will always remember your generosity and the warmth behind it.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making a dream come true.
With sincere appreciation❤️
On Saturday Wishes 4 Kids had the pleasure of spending the day with this adorable little boy and his lovely family. His wish list was to meet Paddington Bear, to ride on a London double decker bus OR to go on a train. We picked up the family from their home and we all travelled to London via first class train. We visited the Paddington Experience where conveniently it was 'Marmalade Day' and we travelled from Paddington Station to 32 Windsor Gardens before ending up in Peru. The experience finished with a meet and greet with Paddington Bear. We then had a tour of London on an open top bus before visiting Buckingham Palace and finishing with a shopping trip to Hamley's.
It was such a special day and we loved watching how happy the children were and how much it all meant to the whole family❤️
On Monday we invited 5 of our 'wish' children to Birstall Fire Station where they were trainee fire fighters for the day. They were given their own uniforms to wear and were introduced to the amazing fire fighter team who started by showing them around the fire engine and how everything worked. The children rolled out the fire hoses and each got to 'soak' Fire Fighter Terry, which they loved (so did Terry). They watched as Leicester the Lion was rescued from a smoked filled room and cheered as Gary was rescued from the top of a building. The children were taken on a tour around the fire station and sat in a very important meeting all about fire safety. After a massive pizza lunch with all of their new fire fighter friends, the children got back into their uniform and were met with a huge round of applause as they entered the presentation area. So many of the amazing team at Birstall Fire Station and HQ had come out to meet the children, including the Chief Fire Officer. This was a very special moment which made many of us feel quite emotional. Each child was then called to the front where they were presented with a personalised frame, a box full of toys, gifts and sweets and a certificate of recognition acknowledging their amazing efforts that day.
This truly was one of the best days that Wishes 4 Kids have ever been invited to and the children and their families loved every second of it. Special thanks must go to Morgan Bird who organised everything to perfection. Morgan and her incredible team created memories for our children that they will never forget and we will be forever grateful to them all for such a truly magical day. THANK YOU❤️
Wishes 4 Kids have had a very busy few weeks with many new wishes granted and lots of events successfully completed. Last week we met this wonderful young boy who has been very poorly and spent a lot of time in hospital. His wish was for a new laptop which he could use while he was in hospital. We bought him a brand new gaming laptop, wireless headphones and 'Steam' vouchers so that he could download his favourite games. He was 'made up' and immediately rang some of his other family members to tell them what he had received. It was a pleasure to have been able to help this amazing young boy and we wish him all the very best in his recovery.
The London Landmarks Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 12th April 2026. This is a really popular event and places are selling out very quickly. All of the ballot places have now been allocated so this is your last chance to take part.
There is a £30 booking fee and our minimum fundraising target is £350.
If you would like to take part and raise money for Wishes 4 Kids then please click below to register: runforcharity.com/wishes-4-kids/london-landmarks-half-marathon/register
TANDEM PARACHUTE JUMP - SUNDAY 7TH JUNE 2026
We have started to book events for next year and just secured the date for everyone's favourite event - our Tandem Parachute Jump. We have 24 places available so why not join our team, free-falling at 120mph from a height of 13,000ft!!!
The minimum age to take part is 16 years old and the maximum weight limit is 15 stone. Our minimum fundraising target is £395.
If you would like to register then please contact us on 0116 2543491 or email info@wishes4kids.co.uk for a registration form.![]()
If you can't wait then long then we have 1 place available for our next Tandem Parachute Jump on Sunday 31st August 2025. We will not be hosting this event again until June 2026 so if you would like to take part this year then call us today to secure your place.
CHARITY CURRY NIGHT
Gary Lowe has booked a Charity Curry Night at the Cuisine of India in Wigston for Monday 4th August, starting at 7pm.
It is £20 per person (under 10's are half price) which gives you a fantastic all you can eat 3-course buffet. There will also be a raffle full of excellent prizes and we will play a few games.
This is a hugely popular evening which will sell out very quickly so if you would like to attend then please call Gary on 0116 2543491 or email gary@wishes4kids.co.uk asap to secure your place.
At the beginning of September Gary will attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He set himself a £10,000 fundraising target for Wishes 4 Kids and has nearly reached his target and this Curry Night will hopefully take him well over the £10,000🤞
If you are unable to make the Curry Night but would like to sponsor Gary then please visit
Gary's fundraiser for Wishes 4 Kids
www.justgiving.com
Help Gary Lowe raise money to support Wishes 4 Kids
We recently had the pleasure of granting the wish for this incredible young boy. He loves gaming and asked for a PS5. We were able to buy him a brand new PS5 with an extra Duel Sense Midnight Black controller, a Duel Sense twin charging station and his favourite games. Before we granted his wish we were contacted by somebody who had just made a donation to our Charity. As with all donations, we had written to the individual thanking them for their kindness and support and explaining that their donation would be used towards helping this boy and his wish for a PS5. They asked if they could add to the boy's wish and very kindly made a second donation, which enabled us to buy him a brand new gaming chair too!
We cannot thank this person enough for their unbelievable generosity and for making a very special wish even more magical. The boy and his family were so grateful and as you can see he was extremely happy.
As with all of the wishes that we grant, they are only achievable because of the incredible support we receive from lots of very kind people. THANK YOU❤️
Wishes 4 Kids would like to say a huge thank you and congratulations to everyone who took part in our Extreme Abseil event at the weekend. Due to strong winds our participants abseiled inside the tower which gave them the opportunity to also walk down the tower face first!!!!
Thank you for supporting our Charity and for each raising a magnificent amount of money.
This amazing little boy loves everything about F1 and his wish was to watch an F1 race live. Yesterday we took him and his dad to Silverstone where he was able to watch the British Grand Prix and cheer on all of his favourite drivers, especially Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. We arrived nice and early and were able to visit many different areas around the race track, including FanZone where he loved taking part in lots of different activities. He was so happy all day and this really was the perfect wish for such a special little boy❤️❤️
As many of you are aware, Gary Lowe is part of a team of 5 people who will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in September for Wishes 4 Kids. Our team originally started as a team of 6 but sadly, earlier this year, our very good friend Adam Peake passed away. Adam was a true gentleman and one of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet.
On Monday 23rd June, Adam's dear friend Hemant Chhiber has organised a Charity Curry Night in Adam's memory. This will take place at the Cuisine of India in Wigston from 7pm. It is £25 per person (under 10's are half price) with all proceeds being split between Adam's favourite charities, Wishes 4 Kids and Marie Curie. If you would like to join us on this very special evening, whilst enjoying a 3 course all you can eat buffet, as well as a raffle and a few games, then please contact Hemant on 07875208536❤️
Last weekend Wishes 4 Kids granted this amazing little boy's wish who's dream was to go to Disneyland Paris. We picked him and his family up from their home at 2am and drove them to Luton airport where they were looked after by the wonderful chaplaincy teams at both Luton and Charles de Gaulle. They were then met at the Newport Bay Hotel by Disney VoluntEARS who helped them with everything they needed. They were treated like VIP's everywhere they went and did not queue for anything at all, being escorted to the very front of every ride and attraction that they wanted to see. They were allowed extra time with all of the Disney characters who each signed their autograph book and they also had professional photos taken with each character which were downloaded to the family at no extra charge! All of their meals were paid for and on their second day they all enjoyed a character breakfast together. The family had the most amazing time and made memories that will last forever.
THANK YOU to everyone who chooses to support our Charity helping us to make children's dreams come true
Yesterday we had the pleasure of meeting this lovely little girl and granting her wish for a new laptop. She was so sweet and was not expecting the laptop to be brand new nor was she expecting all of the accessories that we bought for her which included a headset, mouse and laptop bag. She was so happy and it was amazing to see how much everything meant to her❤️
Wishes 4 Kids recently granted this lovely little girl's wish by sending her and her family for an overnight stay at West Midlands Safari Park. We arranged for her to stay in a 2-storey Giraffe Safari Lodge where, from her balcony, she was able to watch the Giraffes walking around and eating and she also got the opportunity to feed them herself! The family received VIP treatment during their stay which included full access to everywhere in the park, all of the different shows and the Safari drive-through on both days. She did not stop smiling the whole time she was there and loved every minute of her experience.❤️
WISHES 4 KIDS CHARITY GOLF DAY - TREAT YOUR DAD TO AN EARLY FATHER'S DAY PRESENT!!!!!
Our annual Charity Golf Day will take place at Kilworth Springs Golf Club THIS Friday (13th June)
There are still places available and it doesn't matter if you can't get a team of 4 as we can pair you up with other players!!!![]()
Arrival is from 10:30am, with a shotgun start at 12:00.
It is £65 per person, teams of 4, which includes:
* Bacon roll + tea/coffee on arrival
* 18 holes of golf
* BBQ supper in the evening which will include a burger, sausage, chicken, new potatoes, salad and coleslaw (veggie option also available).
There will be several individual challenges such as Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive and also Beat the Pro.
As well as all of this there will be a tombola, an auction (any prizes would be hugely appreciated) and a trophy presentation.
If you are interested in taking part then please contact us asap on 0116 2543491 or email info@wishes4kids.co.uk to secure your place.
Yesterday 24 very brave souls took part in our Tandem Parachute event at Hinton Skydiving Centre. Despite a few nervous looking faces, everybody completed their jump from an incredible 13,000ft. It was a brilliant day and we honestly cannot thank each of you enough for supporting our Charity and for being AMAZING!!! We would also like to say a huge thank you to Paul McKenna for the fantastic photos.
We still have places available for our next jump on Sunday 31st August, so if you would like to take part in that then call us on 0116 2543491 to book your place.
WISHES 4 KIDS ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF DAY
Our annual Charity Golf Day will take place at Kilworth Springs Golf Club on Friday 13th June 2025.
It is not too late if you would still like to enter a team?![]()
Arrival from 10:30am, with a shotgun start at 12:00.
It is £65 per person, teams of 4, which includes:
* Bacon roll + tea/coffee on arrival
* 18 holes of golf
* BBQ supper in the evening which will include a burger, sausage, chicken, new potatoes, salad and coleslaw (veggie option also available).
There will be several individual challenges such as Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive and also Beat the Pro.
As well as all of this there will be a tombola, an auction (any prizes would be hugely appreciated) and a trophy presentation.
We are also asking businesses if they would like to sponsor a hole(s)? If so then hole sponsorship is only £50 and you will have your business details (logo) displayed either on a tee or beside a green.
If you are interested in taking part or sponsoring a hole then please contact us on 0116 2543491 or email info@wishes4kids.co.uk at your earliest convenience to secure your place.
Our friends at Leicester DeMontfort Rotary have once again very kindly offered our wish families a Fun Day out at Wicksteed Park in Kettering. This will take place on Wednesday 11th June and our families will be able to enjoy the whole park, all of the different attractions and also a free picnic lunch. If you would like to attend then please call our Charity office on 0116 2543491 to book your place.
Following on from our post last week (please see below), we have a few tickets remaining for the 4:45pm Circus performance.
If you would like to attend then please call us asap to secure your place.![]()
Wishes 4 Kids have very kindly been donated free tickets from our friends at Circus Starr for our 'wish' children and their families to enjoy. Their spectacular Circus performance will take place on Thursday 29th May 2025 at Judgemeadow Community College in Evington. There will be 2 performances on the day which start at 4:45pm and 7:00pm.
Tickets are limited so if you would like to attend then please call our Charity office on 0116 2543491. (We cannot accept emails, texts or Facebook messages). Tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis so do not miss out.
This lovely young lady is fanatical about supercars and her wish was to go to a Supercar Festival. Last weekend we were able to grant her wish and sent her and her family to Supercar Fest the Runway in Northamptonshire. There she was able to watch all of the different displays and parades and get close to all of her favourite cars. As you can see, she had the most amazing day and was in 'Supercar heaven'.
Gary Lowe is organising a Charity Quiz Night which will take place on Friday 30th May at the Leicester Lions Rugby Club in Blaby. Tickets are £15 per person which gives you the quiz plus a hot meal - either fish cake & chips, jumbo sausage & chips or vegetarian sausage & chips (all with the option of curry sauce)
Arrival is from 7pm for a 7:30pm start.
Table sizes of 10 and we are saying no more than 5/6 people per team to keep it fair.
There will be a raffle full of excellent prizes and we will also play a few games.
If you would like to attend then please contact Gary on 07725737514 or email gary@wishes4kids.co.uk![]()
On September 2nd 2025 Gary and friends will fly out to Africa to attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Gary has set himself a fundraising target of £10,000 and this quiz night will help towards that target. If you are unable to attend but would like to sponsor Gary then please visit his justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/page/garylowe-kili
EXTREME ABSEIL!!!! SATURDAY 5TH JULY 2025
Last year we hosted our first ever Extreme Abseil event at the National Lift Tower in Northampton. This is the LARGEST abseil tower in the world at 418ft. The event proved so popular with everyone that we are doing it again this year.
We have 12 places available for our next event on Saturday 5th July. Children as young as 12 years old can take part so why not make this a family event (unless the adults are too scared)??
The maximum weight limit is 21.5 stone (310lbs)
We ask each participant to raise a minimum of £250 and we require a £20 deposit to secure your place.
The question is......Are you brave enough?
If so then please book your place today by emailing info@wishes4kids.co.uk or calling us on 0116 2543491.
These places will go very quickly so do not miss out.