Little Maddi Allan's Uncle Simon wanted to help Maddi with the Quid for a Kid campaign so approached his bosses at Micro-P to ask for their support. The good hearted bosses agreed to an auction fundraiser at their head office and raised £11,200 on the night! Auction items such as computers and laptops were donated by the IT and Technology distributor, which were bought by staff at the Accrington based company. www.micro-p.com

Gordon Brown offered to help  the Five Stars Appeal with fundraising when he met Alison Foster and Nicola Smith at BBC Radio Lancashire yesterday. Alison (Maddi's Nana) and Nicola were invited on to Sally Naden's show to help promote little Maddi's Quid for a Kid campaign and were surprised to find that the third guest on the show was none other than British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

As Five Stars Appeal aims to raise £1million to buy a new MRI scanner for the New Children's Hospital it was fitting that MRI scanner inventor Sir Peter Mansfield, 75, was handed this year's Lifetime Achievement Award by Gordon Brown and wife Sarah. The PM told him: "There's not much better than winning a Nobel Prize - except for winning a Pride of Britain award."

Mr.Brown has pledged that steps will be taken to cut down on waiting time for screenings as he is very much aware that peoples lives will be saved if detection of illness is quicker.

Between talks on the radio he asked Alison how Maddi was doing and asked Nicola to send him a letter so that he and Sarah can help towards the fundraising activity.

To listen to the full interview please click on the link below.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p004nrly/Sally_Naden_15_10_2009

They don’t come much braver than little Madison Allan. Four-and-a-half year old Maddi was only 10 months when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening tumour. It was touch and go whether she would survive a tough course of chemotherapy – not only did Maddi survive but grew stronger and for the past 3 years has led an active life so much so that Maddi took on the challange of fundraising for the Five Stars Appeal.

Unfortuately Maddi has now been admitted to the new Royal Manchester Children's Hospital as her tumour is growing again. Maddi will shortly commence an 18 week course of aggressive chemotherapy treatment so our thoughts and prayers are with Maddi and her family at this difficult time. Keep fighting Maddi!

Maddi has joined the Five Stars Scanner Appeal line-up alongside soccer legend Ryan Giggs OBE, Corrie star Samia.Smith, actor Max Beesley, actor/singer Will Mellor and actor Chris Bisson in a final push to raise the £1million needed for a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. It’s to be installed in the new Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and will help save the lives of sick children from Carlisle toCrewe. But it has to be delivered this summer and the campaign is still £250,000 short of its target.

Maddi is appealing to everyone in the North West to donate just £1 for the hi-tech scanner which will be able to detect cancer in children at a very early stage and give them a better chance of survival. Just a Quid for a Kid.

Five Stars Scanner Appeal Director Charmaine Wilkinson says the scanner will be three times faster than the existing machine, accurately scanning children to spot life-threatening tumours in just 15 minutes.

‘It’ll produce much better results than its predecessor. It’s quieter too, so much less daunting for small children. But we now need the money really urgently,’ says Charmaine.

The present scanner has scanned 27,500 children in 10 years and has saved countless lives. But the new scanner is far more accurate for youngsters like Maddi with rare tumours.

Maddi is no stranger to fundraising. For three years she has been the fundraising princess at a series of charity events for the scanner alongside proud mum Samantha and dad Mark. Maddi has been the toast of her home town of Darwen, in  Lancashire, during the campaign to raise the vital £1million.

We now need you to help Maddi and other children so please donate a Quid for a Kid. It really will help save children's lives. Thank you for your support.

Donors are asked to sellotape a £1 coin to a piece of paper or card and send to Quid for a Kid, Five Stars Scanner Appeal, 446a Bury New Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1AZ or donate online through www.justgiving.com/quidforakid.

On 25th August Maddi's nursery school, Marshmallows in Darwen, organised an obstacle course fundraiser for the tiny tots. They are hoping to raise an amazing £4,000. Over £1000 has been raised so far so watch this space.....

Eighteen staff members of Southland's high school took on the Yorkshire Three peaks Challange and won. Sharon Lang tells Five Stars 'We have been in training since January for the challange so felt in good shape to take on the 26mile hike.' The challange must be completed in under 12hours to claim your place and Sharon did a fantastic job by crossing the finish line in 9hrs 20mins. 'We raised £150 in memory of Danielle Proudfoot, the funds will be going to a very worthwhile cause.'

Five Stars Patrons Ian Aspinall and Jamie Moore handed over a Five Stars cheque of £65,000 to David Cain, Appeals Director of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. This money will go directly towards payment for the new MRI scanner. The Five Stars Appeal still need to raise over £250,000 to hit the £1million target to pay for the new equipment. Ex Holby City star Ian Aspinall said ‘Thank you to everyone who has helped Five Stars with fundraising to date. The new hospital is amazing and the children will benefit massively from such high tech equipment. We still need the support of the community to help us at Five Stars Appeal reach our target of £1million so please contact us at www.fivestarsappeal.co.uk if you can help us in any way at all.’

Phil Leach, Director of Prestige Audio in Trafford Park has won dinner for two courtesy of Lounge 10 on Tib Lane, Manchester. Five Stars would like to thank everyone who entered the competition.

Ryan Giggs OBE and Max Beesley hosted their 4th annual fundraiser at The Belfry, Birmingham, in aid of the Five Stars Appeal on Sunday 31st of May.

The glamorous fundraiser kicked off with Ryan, Max and celebrity friends teaming up with companies such as Morson Group Plc and Cottrills for a round of golf which saw Lee Sharpe walk away with the prize for Best Dressed Golfer.

The glitzy Gala Evening saw over 300 guests, at £200 per head, attend the champagne reception and dinner hosted by Ryan & Max. Lucky competition winners Andrew Gauden and Ricky Richards, pictured with Ryan & Max, had the time of their lives. Guests were entertained in the stunning marquee on the grounds of The Belfry by swing singers Paul Pashley and Alex Stewart while the amazing soul band, Souled As Seen, had stars and guests alike shaking it on the dance floor.

Max Beesley’s father Maxton Beesley helped his son out by taking to the stage for the auction which raised over £38,000 on the night. Take That tickets for the Manchester concert went for a staggering £6500 and Rob Lloyd Racing donated the chance to have your own colours on a racehorse for 12mths which raised £4000.

Max Beesley said ‘Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s event, it was fantastic to see so many people having a great time while raising money for such a worthy cause.'

Click here to view more pictures of the event

Click here to see OK Magazine coverage

Little Maddi fights again!

They don’t come much braver than little Madison Allan. Four-and-a-half year old Maddi was only 10 months when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening tumour. It was touch and go whether she would survive a tough course of chemotherapy – not only did Maddi survive but grew stronger and for the past 3 years has led an active life so much so that Maddi took on the challange of fundraising for the Five Stars Appeal.

Unfortuately Maddi has now been admitted to the new Royal Manchester Children's Hospital as her tumour is growing again. Maddi will shortly commence an 18 week course of aggressive chemotherapy treatment so our thoughts and prayers are with Maddi and her family at this difficult time. Keep fighting Maddi!

Maddi has joined the Five Stars Scanner Appeal line-up alongside soccer legend Ryan Giggs OBE, Corrie star Samia.Smith, actor Max Beesley, actor/singer Will Mellor and actor Chris Bisson in a final push to raise the £1million needed for a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. It’s to be installed in the new Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and will help save the lives of sick children from Carlisle toCrewe. But it has to be delivered this summer and the campaign is still £250,000 short of its target.

Maddi is appealing to everyone in the North West to donate just £1 for the hi-tech scanner which will be able to detect cancer in children at a very early stage and give them a better chance of survival. Just a Quid for a Kid.

Five Stars Scanner Appeal Director Charmaine Wilkinson says the scanner will be three times faster than the existing machine, accurately scanning children to spot life-threatening tumours in just 15 minutes.

‘It’ll produce much better results than its predecessor. It’s quieter too, so much less daunting for small children. But we now need the money really urgently,’ says Charmaine.

The present scanner has scanned 27,500 children in 10 years and has saved countless lives. But the new scanner is far more accurate for youngsters like Maddi with rare tumours.

Maddi is no stranger to fundraising. For three years she has been the fundraising princess at a series of charity events for the scanner alongside proud mum Samantha and dad Mark. Maddi has been the toast of her home town of Darwen, in  Lancashire, during the campaign to raise the vital £1million.

We now need you to help Maddi and other children so please donate a Quid for a Kid. It really will help save children's lives. Thank you for your support.

Donors are asked to sellotape a £1 coin to a piece of paper or card and send to Quid for a Kid, Five Stars Scanner Appeal, 446a Bury New Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1AZ or donate online through www.justgiving.com/quidforakid.

 The Future Is Bright

Jane Houghton of Future recruitment Ltd has successfully bid £1000 for two VIP tickets to see Take That on Wednesday 24th June. Jason Orange of Take That kindly donated x5 sets of tickets to Five Stars Appeal to help raise funds to buy the much needed MRI scanner for the New Children's Hospital. The tickets have raised a staggering total of £8700 so a massive thank you to Jason, Howard, Gary, Mark and the generous people who have bid for the tickets at our charity events and auction.

Entertainment Today and ADF Management together put on what can only be described as one of the most glamorous  events of the year. The Miss Manchester 2009 final, held at The Palace Hotel, was won by the stunning Sara Beverley Jones. The judging panel included Caprice, Will Mellor (Five Stars Ambassador) and Mandy Smith (Five Stars Trustee). The event was a great success and raised £3,500 for the Five Stars Appeal. To view the Miss Manchester Final or book your tickets for next year's final go to www.missmanchester.net or call Julie at Entertainment Today on 0161 484 0876

Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster’s Manchester office is to handle PR for the Five Stars Scanner Appeal pro bono for the next 12 months.  The charity set itself a target of £1 million to fund a replacement scanner for the city’s New Children’s Hospital which opens/opened in June 2009.  The Appeal still has £250,000 to find and Biss Lancaster has agreed to help plan and implement a PR plan for the final fundraising push.

“We have supported Breast Cancer Care for the past five years as our chosen charity,” explains Biss Lancaster’s Joint Managing Director Brian Beech, “and continue to do so but when we were asked to help out a children’s charity on our doorstep we all agreed we should do it.  Every account handler will be giving their time for free and we hope that our efforts can help the Five Stars team reach its target.”

The charity’s five ambassadors are Max Beesley, Chris Bisson, Ryan Giggs, Will Mellor, and Samia Smith. 

www.bisslancaster.com

Please give a Quid for a Kid.

http://www.justgiving.com/quidforakid

They don’t come much braver than little Madison Allan.

Four-and-a-half year old Maddi was only 10 months when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening tumour. It was touch and go whether she would survive a tough course of chemotherapy – but now she is to become a star fundraiser .

Maddi has joined the Five Stars Scanner Appeal line-up alongside soccer legend Ryan Giggs OBE, Corrie star Samia.Smith, actor Max Beesley, actor/singer Will Mellor and actor Chris Bisson in a final push to raise the £1million needed for a state-of-the-art MRI scanner. It’s to be installed in the new Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and will help save the lives of sick children from Carlisle to Crewe. But it has to be delivered this summer and the campaign is still £250,000 short of its target.

Maddi is appealing to everyone in the North West to donate just £1 for the hi-tech scanner which will be able to detect cancer in children at a very early stage and give them a better chance of survival. Just a Quid for a Kid.

Five Stars Scanner Appeal Director Charmaine Wilkinson says the scanner will be three times faster than the existing machine, accurately scanning children to spot life-threatening tumours in just 15 minutes.

‘It’ll produce much better results than its predecessor. It’s quieter too, so much less daunting for small children. But we now need the money really urgently,’ says Charmaine.

The present scanner has scanned 27,500 children in 10 years and has saved countless lives. But the new scanner is far more accurate for youngsters like Maddi with rare tumours.

Maddi is no stranger to fundraising. For three years she has been the fundraising princess at a series of charity events for the scanner alongside proud mum Samantha and dad Mark. Maddi has been the toast of her home town of Darwen, in Lancashire, during the campaign to raise the vital £1million.

Says Maddi’s mum Sam: ‘We’re all just delighted to help. We know Maddi may need to use this scanner to monitor her tumour – and a Quid for a Kid is so little to ask.’

The good news is that Maddi’s tumour is not bothering her at the moment. The young star is leading a full life and looking forward to starting school in September.

Donors are asked to cellotape a £1 coin to a piece of paper or card and send to Quid for a Kid, Five Stars Scanner Appeal, 446a Bury New Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1AZ or donate online through http://www.justgiving.com/quidforakid

Jason, Howard, Gary and Mark of Take That  kindly arranged for a donation to be sent to the Five Stars Appeal from the Take That Trust. As the credit crunch hits charities the hardest, the boys made a special donation to help reach our target of £1million! Well done boys and thank you!

Caprice will be making a special trip to Manchester on April 30th to judge the Miss Manchester 2009 competition.

Caprice, model, actress, TV presenter and business entrepreneur runs her own extremely successful 'By Caprice' product line (www.caprice-online.com).

Caprice will be joined by fellow judges;

Laura Coleman

Current Miss England, (Miss Derby 2008). Now forging a successful modelling career in London, Laura knows what it takes to shine at the Miss England final

Laura White

X Factor finalist with BIG voice (laurajawhite.co.uk)

Peter Hook aka 'Hooky'

A Manchester Music Icon, 'rather good' bass player, co-founder of Joy Division, later reforming as New Order. (myspace.com/peterhookneworder)

Will Mellor

Actor, singer, Five Stars Scanner Appeal ambassador and Manchester United fan! Currently starring in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

Tyson Fury

'UK Heavyweight Hope' Manchester's very own heavyweight division's professional boxer, taking on 'Miss Manchester 2009'

Jessica Simpson

Reigning Miss Manchester 2008, who's forging a career in acting and singing. Jessica knows exactly what it takes to be a successful model and a worthy Miss Manchester.

Stars Shine to Launch New Shop

Friday 20th March saw the Five Stars Scanner Appeal launch it’s new look charity shop based on Bury New Road, Prestwich.

Former Manchester United Legend and charity President Bryan Robson OBE was present alongside the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, who cut the purple ribbon announcing the shop, "Open!"

Thanks to the glamorous ladies of Cheshire who donated designer items by Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo, Roberto Cavalli and Matthew Williamson our customers were able to find some amazing bargains.

Hollyoaks babe, Carley Stenson, who plays Steph Dean, was there to lend a hand as  was European Light-Middle Weight Boxing Champion Jamie Moore who posed for pictures with fans.

Shop Manager, Gary Owen, was thrilled with the turn out and said, "I'd like to thank everybody for coming to the re-launch today. Times are hard at the moment and I hope that shoppers will enjoy buying from us, safe in the knowledge they’re not only getting a bargain, but also saving children’s lives."

Our hard working Patron, Will Mellor, has stepped up to become a Five Stars Ambassador.  The actor, best known for his roles in Hollyoaks and Two Pints of Larger, has replaced much loved Richard O'Brien who has deservedly retired after years of sterling work on behalf of the charity.  Will's first event in aid of the Five Stars took place on Saturday 28th March at the Renaissance Hotel in Manchester. The Boogie Wonderland Ball was a 70's themed night and Will was first to hit the dancefloor.  He was certainly dressed to impress!