COFFEE mornings and exhibitions have helped the Kemp for Kids children’s appeal to reach more than £24,000 of its target with eight weeks to go.

The appeal, which aims to raise £30,000 in 30 weeks, has reached £24,189 to help bereaved children and young people in Wyre Forest and surrounding areas.

Local organisations and businesses have been helping raise funds for the appeal including the Cuba Coffee Lounge at the Mercure Hotel in Bewdley which held a craft evening to raise £283.71.

Club members from the Sebastian Coe Health Club helped to make cakes for the event, which the lounge is hoping to repeat in the summer.

Other fundraising events include St George’s Church in Kidderminster donating money from its coffee mornings and raising another £500 taking its total to £1,000.

Stourport Floral Art Club held an exhibition evening in Areley Kings and raised £500.

The ladies section of the Lucky Severn Scooter Club held a ladies day with nail painting, a cabaret act, raffle and a buffet and raised more than £300.

Some of the money raised will be use for Kemp Hospice’s first residential event which is due to take place this weekend.

Twenty-four children and young people with their parents and carers will take part in therapeutic activities to help understand their grief away from the daily pressures of home life.

The Freemason’s Masonic lodges of Stourport and Kidderminster have offered to sponsor the Kemp for Kids tshirts and candles which will be used on the first residential weekend after Jackie Turner, Kemp’s children’s and young people support worker, gave a talk to the groups.