Erin’s love lights up Leonard Cheshire service

‘Love, Erin.’

This was one family’s message to service users after an amazing act of kindness lit up Leonard Cheshire’s new service in Wandsworth. 

 

Leonard Cheshire Community Support, the new home of the charity’s Randall Close Resource Centre, opened in February – and received a kind gift from across the Atlantic to welcome service users and staff and help them keep warm and well.

The Pickel family, from the United States, made a donation of blankets, gloves and other items in memory of their daughter, Erin McKamey Pickel, who passed away shortly after her 18th birthday last year. Erin was known for her loving and joyful personality and desire to help others.

female wheelchair user wearing glasses and laughing

The Pickel family founded the charity ‘Love Erin’ to carry on spreading her daughter’s love and support people in need. Just before Christmas, the family brought their mission to the Leonard Cheshire in South London as it prepared for its big move.   

Veronica, Pauline and Julie, all regulars were on hand to welcome the gift, which supported the local Keep Warm Keep Well campaign by Public Health England to help people stay warm and healthy in cold weather. The donation came at a crucial time for the service, which was moving in the spring. 

In a note accompanying the donation, the family wrote: 

‘Although physically fragile and quiet, Erin’s spirit was strong, and her big smile and expressive laugh spread the purest joy and love to all she met.

‘Erin truly loved her family and friends and would want everyone to know that love is not a special need; love is a special gift, freely and openly given every day.

‘Love overcomes being scared, anxious or discouraged, and that is how her family wishes all of us to remember Erin: she had the special gift of sharing love.’ 

The family’s message of love and kindness is framed and will take pride of place in the new service. 

On behalf of everyone at Leonard Cheshire: thank you Erin, for helping us support disabled people in the community.

Find out more about Love Erin and its mission.

Find more information about Leonard Cheshire Community Support, the new home of Randall Close Resource Centre.

Media enquiries

For further information please contact Sam Buckley on samuel.buckley@leonardcheshire.org or call 020 3242 0204.

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