The mum of a Dundee girl who inspired an organisation in her name says her daughter would have “loved” the work it is doing to help others.
Freya’s Wish was set up in memory of Freya Skene, who died in a river accident in Highland Perthshire in July 2020 at the age of seven.
Mum Brooke Reid wanted to help other parents create memories with their children, and to provide support to people in need, following the tragedy.
And since being handed the keys to its headquarters on Dura Street just over a year ago, Brooke and volunteers have helped to support countless locals.
Brooke said: “We’re only left with memories so it’s quite sad to know that a lot of families can’t make memories because of financial barriers.
“A lot of people can’t work a million jobs, so knowing that you’re taking away the stress of the materialistic things makes it worthwhile.
“We’re starting to get more and more people who enjoy being here; nobody ever wants to leave, they come for a chat and end up staying for the duration of the day.”
‘Freya was all about giving’
Last year a toy appeal was launched, inspired by Freya’s generosity and kindness in donating her own toys for children at Christmas.
Brooke said: “Freya was all about giving, she always wanted to do so much for other people.
“She used to give away all her toys to others, which started the toy appeal. It sadly didn’t go ahead this year but she always wanted to be involved in something.
“She would love all this, it’s just Freya-inspired.
“Freya was always a person who wanted to keep the peace so would love the fact we’re helping make memories, because we had a crazy amount of memories and if it wasn’t for them, it would be quite rubbish.”
Since taking over the organisation’s base, volunteers have given it a makeover so it can now be enjoyed by families who visit.
They have also hosted monthly charity events and giving days, opened a community boutique and assisted families with essentials and toys.
Scores of locals have also raised more than £10,000 for the initiative.
Brooke’s childhood friend Demi Brown says volunteering at Freya’s Wish has helped her run her own business while also looking after her daughter.
“It’s just amazing here, I love it,” she said.
“I grew up with Brooke but the rest of the volunteers, we didn’t know each other before Freya’s Wish and now we’re like a big family.
“People don’t understand when they come to events that the building wasn’t anything like how it is now and we’re still renovating while doing giving days and referrals.
“None of us could do DIY before but now we’ve learned every trade, I couldn’t even paint before and it’s good even for the kids.
“We’ve got some really young volunteers, including my daughter, and people ask: ‘You bring her here every day?’ and I tell them she loves it here.
“It’s teaching her that even though we’ve got what we want, we have to give to other people that don’t.”
Plans for regular support group
Janine Plummer, who is Brooke’s mum and Freya’s grandmother, says there are more plans afoot for the organisation.
She said: “Our goal is to have a regular support group where people can come in and get a cuppa.
“We kind of do that at the minute anyway but maybe we could start doing it weekly.
“We’ve all got our own stories and journeys and even if you’re just helping one person, it’s massive.”
Freya’s Wish plans to host a ticketed event to celebrate the past year with details set to be shared on its Facebook page.
