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Sellafield couples hoping to 'win their wedding'
Lucky couples with Sellafield connections are hoping to scoop a big prize next week – their dream weddings, all paid for.
Both couples have made the final of CFM Radio’s ‘Win Your Wedding’ competition, and now they need a helping hand to scoop the big prize.
The couple who raise the most money for the CFM’s Cash for Kids appeal by the deadline of 10am on Monday will walk away with the prize.
Martin Sullivan, who works on site for PC Richardson, and Debra Crellin, who works in Thorp for Initial (below), had to put off their dream wedding after the death of their infant son Kieran nearly four years ago.
Martin said: “We had been saving up to try and get married, as I love Debra dearly and wanted to make
an honest woman of her. But our son was born with complications, he had five operations in the five
weeks he was alive but unfortunately we lost him. He was a perfect little lad and it is impossible to describe the emotional stress that put us through.
“It hit us financially too – you don’t have money tucked away in case you ever need to pay for a child’s funeral and the headstone alone cost us £1,800.
“We aren’t wealthy people so the money came out of our wedding fund, and over the past four years we’ve never been able to save up anywhere near enough to get married.”
Things started looking up for the couple 20 months ago when their second son Kyle was born, and then when Martin heard about the contest on the radio he thought his luck might finally change for good.
The other couple (photographed right) are Thorp control room worker Deborah Ashbridge and her fiancé Kris Wilkinson. They hail from Workington and met 18 months ago.
Deborah said: “I just thought that this competition was a great way to save ourselves a fortune as a wedding can be so expensive. We’ve got all kinds fundraising things organised to try and raise the money.
“It was really exciting on the day up at Carlisle where they selected the five couples for the final – there was a quiz and then we had to write vows, I just hope we can win now!”
To pledge money in support of Martin and Debra txt WEDDING5 to 63103 or log onto www.justgiving.com/wedding5martindebra. For Deborah and Kris its WEDDING3 to 63103 and www.justgiving.com/wedding3krisdeborah
