Amelia's kind gesture to cheer-up children in Wigan

Daisy the Dinosaur, also known as Amelia Kendrick from Standish Lower Ground, decided to walk around Shevington, Beech Hill and Standish Lower Ground to cheer up children before they returned to school - following the latest school closures due to Covid-19.

The 26-year-old, a regional trainer for Specsavers currently works from home, wanted to spend her hour-long lunch break doing something different.

Amelia said: “I just thought it’s been a crazy year and as adults it’s been really hard, but children haven’t been able to see their friends or been able to do things they usually do.

“It must have been so tough for them, so I just thought if they see me, I can inject a bit of fun for them.

“It made me happy and I’m the type of person who likes to make people happy.”

She thought about the idea after she received a lot of beeps, waves and smiles dressed as Daisy the Dinosaur, walking to surprise her friend’s three-year-old daughter who is ‘obsessed’ with dinosaurs.

Amelia said: “Because of lockdown, there’s not really a lot you can do, you can’t go anywhere, you can’t do anything.

“I decided to buy a dinosaur costume so I could turn up at her house to do an egg hunt in the front garden.

“I wrote her a little note that said a ‘Terrasaurus has flown off with my eggs and dropped them in the garden. I need your help to find them.’”

Since Daisy the Dinosaur’s first outing, she has become quite the phenomenon on social media - having been stopped to take so many pictures on her travels, as well as receiving cards, letters and gifts from her biggest fans.

Ameila said: “I decided to make a Facebook group called Daisy the Dinosaur and I put pictures on it to tease people about where I am.

“I stood outside the Wigan Athletic training ground and I put a post on saying ‘move over Crusty the Pie, there’s a new mascot in town!’”

Amelia’s plan is to keep the Facebook page running and when lockdown restrictions ease, she hopes to go to more places in the borough.

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.