A painter and decorator spread some Christmas cheer and raised vital funds for a charity with a unique competition.
Darren Harretys, owner of Harretys Decorating Service in Nelson, offered a complete room makeover to one lucky winner after partnering with other local businesses
The prize included £100 towards materials from Harretys Decorating Service, £100 towards materials from the Walk and Talk mental health support group, £1,200 free labour from Harretys, and either a brand new carpet from Right Carpets or a free carpet clean from Homeclean of Pendle.
Darren Harretys offered wonderful prize with his unique competition (Image: Leroy Philbrook/PAC) Darren’s brilliant competition raised £855 for Positive Action in the Community (PAC) a registered charity that supports people in East Lancashire affected by youth homelessness, domestic abuse, and poor mental health
Darren presented the prize to one lucky winner just before Christmas, a special gift that will transform a room in their house.
Darren was inspired to support PAC after several friends tragically took their own lives in 2024. “I wanted to support a charity that I know will be making people’s lives better right here in Nelson,” he said. “Life is hard, and when someone is homeless or being abused, having someone there to help will save their life.”
Claire Bennett, chief executive of PAC, expressed her gratitude for Darren’s initiative. “Individuals like Darren who just want to make a difference are so important to PAC,” she said. “Without this help from passionate people, we wouldn’t be able to respond to the growing needs in East Lancashire as effectively.”
Darren runs Harretys Decorating Service in Nelson (Image: Leroy Philbrook/PAC)
Leroy Philbrook, partnership and community engagement manager at PAC, highlighted the impact of the funds raised. “This fundraising will contribute to PAC’s ongoing support, such as our six-week solution-focused counselling service for young people, adults, and children,” he explained. “Fundraising like this enables PAC to transform people’s lives.”
The charity’s Pendle SafeSpace project provides supported accommodation to young people aged 16 and over who would otherwise be homeless. The BeFree project offers a wide range of community-based support to adults and children dealing with domestic abuse across Pendle and Rossendale.
In the last 12 months, PAC has received more than 3,000 new referrals across all its services in East Lancashire.