100 moments from Leanne - a decade of living life to the full

The Leanne Fund has been helping to enrich life for people with CF and their families since 2010. Now they’re calling on anyone who has benefited to help demonstrate the charity’s long-time claim, that life is for living.

Leanne Mitchell passed away due to Cystic Fibrosis in 2009, at the age of 21. In her memory, The Leanne Fund was set up in 2010 by her family and has since expanded from their home in the Isle of Lewis to cover the whole of the Highlands and Islands, Grampian and Tayside NHS regions.

Development manager Chrisetta Mitchell said: “One of the things we learnt through Leanne is how important it is to live life with positivity and to treasure the good moments.

“Leanne had an incredible strength and determination to live life to the full, making the most of every precious moment.

“Her life was inspirational and the fund represents her heartfelt desire to bring happiness to others.”

It’s that positivity that has inspired ‘100 Moments from Leanne’. Supporters, Cystic Fibrosis sufferers and family members all have moments to share – whether of an achievement, a precious memory, or a time when The Leanne Fund has simply lifted their spirits.

Among the first to bring their memories forward was Chrisell Macleod, a Leanne Fund supporter from the Isle of Lewis.

She said: “It was the year I was going to be fifty and I could not have spent it in a more gruelling training regime, to walk 100 miles for Leanne, but I would not change it for the world.

“I was about to find out all about the amazing work of the Leanne Fund and make life-long crazy friends.”

And CF sufferer Eden of Huntly said: “My favourite moment was when Chrisetta and Willie Mitchell came to my school Christmas Fayre to my hama bead stall, which was raising money for The Leanne Fund.

“I am very lucky and have lots of great equipment to make physio at home fun and I got a great hamper when I had my first stay in hospital before Christmas. I do fundraising every year to say thank you for all they do for me!”

Moments like these, contributed to the charity in words or pictures throughout the anniversary year, will be shared – anonymously if that’s preferred – through social media and on display in the Stornoway office. In this way they hope to spread the rainbow of supportive emotions that has kept the charity strong for a decade.

The Leanne Fund itself has a number of reasons for feeling positive about 2020, with the appointment of their second staff member and the beginning of a year-long programme of fundraising events.

Anne Nicolson from Tong has started work as a part-time administrative support officer, thanks to additional funding from the Tayside Community Innovation Fund. She’ll be available at the Leanne Fund’s office every morning, five days a week, and can be reached on 01851 702020.

Chrisetta Mitchell said: “It’s really good to get an extra person regularly in the office, freeing up more time for me to concentrate on work across the large area of Scotland where we now provide support. It means that I can be out of the office, knowing that I am leaving the work in capable hands.”

The work includes planning this year’s Rainbow Raiser on February 28th – a day for wearing colourful clothes, baking rainbow bakes and doing whatever it takes to lift spirits and raise funds.

The year will also see The Leanne Fund 5k and 10k in Point, tea in the Town Hall in Stornoway, sponsored places on the Aberdeen Kiltwalk and numerous collections across supermarkets and community events Scotland-wide.

If you’d like to contribute one of your memories for 100 Moments from Leanne, get in touch by email at [email protected], follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theleannefund/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheLeanneFund