Panto helps to keep Laura Thomas' sparkle alive
A theatre group took their touring pantomime to a Staffordshire village to help raise funds in memory of a woman killed by a lorry driver.
Creative Stage Productions, based in Stafford, agreed to perform Mother Goose at Great Haywood's Village Hall free of charge.
It meant all proceeds could go to supporting the Little Laura charity set up following the death of Laura Thomas in July 2013.
The 20-year-old teaching assistant was killed when her broken-down car was struck by an HGV on the A5 between Telford and Shrewsbury. The performance on Saturday night proved a great success with dozens turning up to join in the fun.
Through ticket sales and a particularly successful photo booth, the event raised £619.36.
Laura, from Great Haywood, had worked at Marshlands Special School where a garden is in the process of being made.
The money raised from the pantomime evening will be put towards the project to create a green space.
Creative Stage Productions had previously raised £300 for the charity in the summer. Speaking afterwards, Laura's mother, Lisa, said: "They contacted us saying they were doing 17 shows taking their pantomime on tour around schools and businesses.
"They said if we provided the venue and sold the tickets then they would do the show for free.
"So we hired the village hall and that is how it came about.
"It was really funny for the children but there was also lots of adults there, too.
"And there was a photo booth which proved to be a real hit." The Little Laura charity has previously donated funds to Marshlands School as well as the Midlands Air Ambulance helicopter service and Riding for the Disabled in Ingestre, where Laura volunteered.
Mrs Thomas, added: "The fundraising is a way for us to feed into something positive following Laura's death.
"It keeps Laura's sparkle going and helps continue what she was doing.
"She loved her work and absolutely adored the children."
The driver who killed Laura had been looking at pictures of women on an explicit dating site while at the wheel. Her fiancé, Lewis Pagett, from Rugeley, was seriously injured in the crash. Ian Glover, then 44, of Birmingham, was later jailed for five years over the road accident.
