ILMINSTER NEWS: Blue is the colour for appeal funds

STAFF at an Ilminster town centre store have been donning Chelsea Football Club shirts this week to raise money for a local appeal.

Caroline Speke, proprietor of the Silver Street Dairy in Silver Street, Ilminster, and her team have been wearing the Chelsea football tops to support Jake Cullen’s off-road wheelchair appeal.

Jake, 15, who lives with the rare Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and his family are big Chelsea fans and they were delighted when the idea was put to them and dad Mark was more than happy to lend some of the team shirts for the week.

PHOTOS – TOP AND RIGHT: Raising money for Jake’s off-road wheelchair appeal at Silver Street Dairy are (from left) Katy Maggs, Claire Timson and Caroline Speke.

Customers at Silver Street Dairy have been more than generous with their donations and a total of £600 will be handed over to the appeal which has an overall target of £14,000.

Caroline said: “We’d like to thank all of our customers who have donated to the collecting bucket we’ve had on our counter here.

“I’m not really into football, but I’ve been really pleased to help this local appeal.”

Shop assistant Claire Timson, whose son, Liam, goes to school with Jake at Wadham School in Crewkerne, said she did not mind wearing the Chelsea shirt – even though she is a Tottenham Hotspur supporter.

“It hasn’t been too bad, but I’m just so relieved that Jake isn’t an Arsenal fan – that would have been too much considering they’re Spurs’ big rivals,” she said.

Fellow shop assistant Katy Maggs also said she had been pleased to support the cause which will be prove to be so beneficial to Jake as the off-road wheelchair will give him more independence and allow him to take his pet dog for a walk.

Although Jake lives with mum and dad, Tash and Mark, at South Petherton, they are a well-known family in Ilminster.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Jake Cullen.

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