SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Darts players come up trumps for Somer

DARTS players in South Petherton have helped to raise £1,700 for a little girl who has suffered brain damage.

The players decided to stage a 24-hour darts marathon at the Pavilion at South Petherton Recreation Ground to help recoup charity money stolen during a break-in at the Emphasis Hair Design salon in the village.

The salon in Market Square was broken into last December and thieves stole £50 float money and staff tips amounting to about £80.

But staff at the salon – which is run by Tracey Smith – were left devastated when they found that the cruel thieves had also stolen more than £200 earmarked for the Get Well Somer appeal and a further £20 for the Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Somer Woodley-Dale underwent a nine-hour back operation at Southampton General Hospital in September last year aged 12. But her heart stopped for 20 minutes following the operation and although she battled back, she was left brain damaged, paralysed on the left-hand side of her body and unable to talk.

Her parents, Paul Dale and Emma Woodley, are now raising money to buy a wheelchair for Somer and to pay for her rehabilitation.

When darts players Ricky Hill and Kev Harris heard about the break-in at the hair salon they knew they had to do something to help and were delighted to present Tracey with a cheque for £1,700 – the proceeds of the dart marathon - on Saturday (May 24, 2014) night at the Pavilion.

PHOTO - TOP: Tracey Smith, of Emphasis Hair Design, receives the £1,700 cheque from 24-hour darts marathon players.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Somer Woodley-Dale at the Wild West themed beer and cider festival at the Brewers Arms in South Petherton last summer.

Tracey said: “I would like to thank everyone for their support. It was a shock when we had the break-in and an even bigger shock when we realised they had taken the charity money.”

Although Somer lives in Basingstoke in Hampshire she has visited South Somerset a number of times and has family living here.

Somer was diagnosed as a baby as having Noonans Syndrome which causes heart and growth problems and scoliosis.

Last November staff and pub-goers at the award-winning Brewers Arms in South Petherton held a night of fundraising for Somer where a charity auction alone raised £1,150.

Somer’s grandfather, Steve Dale, said he would like to thank everyone for their continued support.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Organisers of the 24-hour darts marathon, Ricky Hill, left, and Kev Harris present a £1,700 cheque to Tracey Smith of the Emphasis Hair Design salon in South Petherton.

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