One member of staff at Ashmole & Co has become ‘hooked’ on crocheting teddies to help raise funds for the accountancy firm’s charity of the year - Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

Twelve young people die each week from young sudden cardiac death. Debbie Blanchard, an Accounts Clerk in Ashmole & Co’s Carmarthen office, has spent many hours crocheting 12 teddy bears so they can be sold to raise money as part of CRY’s Raising Awareness Week, November 8 to 16.

Crocheting was not something Debbie had tried until a couple of years ago when she decided to give it a go to make a blanket with a tractor design on it to raise funds for the DPJ Foundation.

Debbie said, “When I created the blanket it was the first crochet pattern I had ever followed and so I was having to teach myself to do the stitches and colour changes. During my spare time I love doing anything creative. I make handbags, baby toys, teddies and dolls. Since taking up crocheting to do the blanket I’ve got a bit hooked on crocheting!”

Day to day at Ashmole & Co Debbie helps the accountants with book-keeping and payroll. She joined the firm in 2019 as a Payroll Clerk and started in the position of Accounts Clerk in April this year. She lives with her husband in Llanwenog near Lampeter and they have two grown up daughters. In her spare time she loves sewing and more recently crocheting as well as walking and reading.

Sharon George, Partner in the Carmarthen office said, “The amount of time and effort Debbie has put into these creations is absolutely amazing. The blanket she made for the DPJ Foundation was superb and these teddies are gorgeous. They would make perfect stocking fillers for Christmas. We are so grateful to her for making this special effort to help us raise as much money as possible for our chosen charity.”

Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working to reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). CRY supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families affected by YSCD. CRY promotes and develops heart screening programmes and funds medical research. CRY publishes and distributes medical information written by leading cardiologists for the general public. CRY also funds specialist referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals. For more information about CRY’s services please visit the website: www.c-r-y.org.uk or to register interest for a cardiac screening near you, visit: www.testmyheart.org.uk

Ashmole & Co have done a ‘guess the name’ for one of the teddies to raise funds for CRY. If you are interested in purchasing one of the other 11 teddies, which all have handmade CRY buttons made by Debbie’s niece, then please get in touch with your local Ashmole & Co office. Any donations to support Ashmole & Co’s fundraising would be gratefully received. Here is the link to the Just Giving page, or you can donate at any office: Ashmole and co is fundraising for Cardiac Risk in the Young