The extraordinary nine-year-old whose rainbow creations raised £13K for Warrington Hospital

The extraordinary nine-year-old from Grappenhall has dedicated her year to raising £13,000 for Warrington Hospital in the midst of a global pandemic - earning herself a well-deserved thank you from Boris Johnson.

Macy's efforts have seen her labelled a 'local celebrity' after she started selling her handmade beaded rainbows to fund treats and care packages for NHS staff and patients.

Recalling his daughter's kind-hearted gesture, proud dad Don said: "We were originally hoping to raise a few hundred pounds from family and friends - we never imagined it would escalate as it did.

"Originally, Macy made a rainbow to hang in my car, and was then asked by her Nana Sue to make one and she would buy it from her.

"At this point, Macy had the idea of making them for sick people in hospital and everything evolved from there."

Macy Owen

The Macy's Rainbows campaign saw her make and sell even more rainbows, a symbol of hope during the coronavirus pandemic.

All the money raised went towards acquiring items from Warrington and Halton Hospitals’ Charity’s Amazon Wish List, as well as sensory equipment such as toys and lights, and care packages.

By May, Macy had already raised more than £1,500.

Just two months later, she hit £10,000 and received a personalised thank you letter from the Prime Minister, becoming a Point of Light for her 'brilliance and kindness'.

Macy did not stop there and the youngster was handed a Chief Executive’s Award at Warrington Hospital in August after her fundraising campaign passed the £12,000 mark.

Warrington South MP Andy Carter, WHH chief executive Simon Constable and Macy with her family as she is presented with a Chief Executive’s Award at Warrington Hospital

"Macy was particularly shy when meeting the Prime Minister, however her ‘Points of Light’ award sits proudly on her bedroom wall along with the Chief Executive Award from the hospital," Don said.

"It has boosted her confidence massively and has had a significant impact on her development.

"But mostly it has shown that Macy's 'be nice' approach is something that we can all relate to and make the whole Covid scenario a little bit more tolerable."

As a 'local celebrity', Macy was even invited to help reopen Thelwall Park in the summer, which contained pebble and rock artwork to commemorate creativity in lockdown.

Thelwall Park was re-opened by Cllr Wendy Johnson, accompanied by Macy

Overall, Macy raised almost £13,000 for Warrington and Halton hospitals through 2020, purchasing items and equipment, as well as sending a cash donation of £6,735 to be used on the maternity ward.

Looking back on 2020, Don added: "As both Macy’s mum Lindsay and I are key workers, and with Macy returning to school, it sadly meant that as a family we struggled to continue purchasing items.

"However, the donation to the maternity ward, via Shelley Carr at Warrington Hospital, facilitated the purchasing of calm packs for women in labour to assist in achieving a positive birth experience.

"This is especially close to Macy’s heart, as her baby brother Dylan was born at the hospital in 2019."

The Macy's Rainbows Facebook group now has more than 6,300 members - a community brought together by one very special little girl.