Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Carly Defreitas, owner of Q8 sports bar in Wigan, held a pool competition, raffle and auction in aid of the Lullaby Trust.

Wigan group's life-saving mission to fund-raises for public access defibrillator

She wanted to do something to help after hearing about the death of eight-month-old Charlie Wilkinson, whose uncle is a regular at the bar.

Family and friends join competitors at the charity pool event in memory of Charlie Wilkinson

The tot, who was a twin, died while sleeping in his cot on June 6, 2020.

His parents Adam Wilkinson and Katie Benson, as well as the rest of the family, were devastated and now want to do as much as they can to help others and raise awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDs).

To remember Charlie on the second anniversary of his death, family, friends and locals turned out in force to join competitors at the pool event.

Charlie’s uncle Shaun Wilkinson said: “I’d heard of cot deaths before but you never really think it’s going to happen to you.

“Charlie was put to bed as usual with his brother Finley and was sleeping in his cot, but when someone went to check on him, he had stopped breathing and turned blue.

“He couldn’t be resuscitated and sadly passed away.

"It was a really dark time and left us all completely devastated.

"He was a happy-go-lucky baby, really playful.

Carly Defreitas, owner of Q8 Sports bar, with some of the prizes to raise funds for the charity

“We just really want to help others by raising as much awareness as we can.”

Carly said: "Two years ago, one of my regulars lost their young nephew, baby Charlie, at just eight months old and I’d literally just bought the club at the time.

"So I did an event where we raised over £1,000 for them to go towards a headstone for him, but the year after we were in lockdown so my new business was closed for the first anniversary of his death and we couldn’t do anything for it.

"This is now the second anniversary and I organised the fund-raising event to donate money to the Lullaby Trust, as this charity helped the family a lot. They assist bereaved parents and conduct research into SIDs.

“I organised pool competitions so people could go head-to-head and play to raise money.”

She now hopes to organise a fund-raising event annually in memory of Charlie.

Tragic Wigan tot is remembered at charity fund-raiser for second anniversary of his death