A festive charity raffle organised by the owner of a Dawlish salon has not only raised over £1,000 for a dog rescue but will also enable a seriously ill little girl to enjoy a special birthday party.

The Twelve Days of Christmas fundraiser, organised by the owner of Signature Hair and Beauty in Dawlish, saw more than 35 prizes of vouchers, hampers and gifts donated by local businesses.

The raffle draw, which took place in the Lansdowne Pub on Christmas Eve, generated £1192.67 for Saving Pound Dogs Cyprus (SPDC).

SPDC is a non-profit organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray dogs to loving homes in the UK, Cyprus and Germany. Chrissy has supported the SPDC since adopting a dog from the charity.

One prize, a children’s party for 12 donated by the Mount Pleasant Inn, was won by 77-year-old Tony Smith. Having no use for the prize, he agreed to swap and the party was donated to a Dawlish-based family whose young daughter has been diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma.

Keavy McElwee, who turned four on New Year’s Eve, has been receiving treatment at Bristol Children’s Hospital since being diagnosed with the rare childhood cancer last January. She will now be able to belatedly celebrate her birthday with family and friends.

The McElwee family, who have lived in Australia for ten years, had been home visiting family when Keavy fell ill. After learning of Keavy’s illness, the Dawlish community has rallied round. A GoFundMe page has generated nearly £15,000 to help the family juggle hospital trips, accommodation, support for her siblings and to pay for treats when Keavy is well enough. The family intend to donate some of the fundraising total to the charities that have helped them over the last year.

Chrissy said she was very grateful to all the businesses that contributed to the raffle and everybody who bought a ticket. The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ fundraiser has created ‘a happy ending for dogs and a little girl’, she commented.

While this year’s fundraising total was just shy of the £1281.67 achieved in the draw she ran last year, Chrissy is hopeful that donations to the collection tin in the Signature salon might help them beat the 2024 total.

‘Considering how people are struggling with the cost of living this year we are very pleased to have raised so much,’ Chrissy said.

The SPDC said it was incredibly grateful for Chrissy’s fundraising. ‘Your tireless efforts to raise funds and awareness have provided crucial support for these furry friends and ignited a spark of hope in their lives,’ a charity spokesperson said. ‘Thank you for being a beacon of kindness and channelling your energy towards such a noble cause,’ the spokesperson added. Your dedication to improving the lives of these dogs is testament to the power of one person’s actions to create positive change. Thank you to every customer, colleague and everyone who donated.’