A DAY of festival, fun and games with a serious message.

That's what local woman Christine Norman intends as she holds a special ten year anniversary party at Melton's Nursery, Poulton, in July while raising awareness for the Meningitis Research Campaign.

Christine lost her nephew, Ryan, to the disease three and a half years ago and strongly believes awareness of the deadly brain disease must be raised following her own experience.

"Ryan was 18 when he died and the disease seems to be taking more and more of our young people," she told the Citizen.

"Since Ryan's death we have been fund-raising for the trust who are working towards discovering an innoculation."

Christine is also on constant watch for symptoms as the owner of two nursery schools and is concerned all parents should also be vigilant. She said: "Unless we teach parents how quickly this horrible disease can kill, it will never stop."

One set of celebrity parents who have recently pledged their support to the MR Foundation are Posh Spice Victoria Adams and David Beckham.

Christine, who is also the Foundation's Fylde co-ordinator, is delighted at the couple's backing. "Because of the media hype surrounding them, their support of the campaign is wonderful," she said, "They realise the very real danger the disease can pose, particularly now they have a child of their own."

Traditionally the garden party, which is an annual event, is held at the Blackpool nursery because of its more central location, but this year the venue will be the Thornton nursery which is celebrating its ten-year anniversary in 1999, as is the MR Foundation.

Christine offers the invitation to everyone from around the Fylde and beyond to share in a day of fun to raise funds for vital research to help combat this killer.

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