Heysham girl's walk in memory of granddad

Anya Crabtree, from Heysham, wanted to give something back to The Sands Care Home in Morecambe who cared for her grandfather, Bob Crabtree before he lost his battle with Parkinson’s.

The 12-year-old raised £300 for the home after taking part in a two mile walk on the promenade.

Anya and her friend Anna Wilson tied their shoelaces together for the sponsored walk called ‘Shuffling for The Sands.’

“I am so proud of what Anya has done,” said mum Jill Crabtree.

“They decided to do a sponsored walk because my dad had Parkinson’s and his walking ability was very limited, one of the main traits of Parkinson’s is a walk with a shuffle.”

Bob was in the Sands for seven months before he passed away in December at the age of 81.

He was a well-known local builder and lived in Heysham with his wife Carol before he entered The Sands. 
The Sands became a second home for Jill, Anya, a pupil at Ripley St Thomas CE Academy, and the family.

“We visited him everyday,” said Jill.

“Although he only lived there for seven months it became quite a special place, it was homely, the staff were amazing.

“Anya still visits the residents which is lovely.

“She spoke to a lady called June for about 25 minutes and often takes part in activities with residents.

“For a 12-year-old girl to go in there after losing her granddad and feel comfortable is quite special really, because not a lot of children would.”

The money Anya raised will go towards activities for the residents in the dementia unit and will include; sensory equipment, a wall activity board, bags of sensory items and a visual DVD showcasing Morecambe’s heritage.

“Bob would be proud as punch, he had six grandchildren, they were his world, they were all very close,” said Jill.