THE six tragic Philpott children could be remembered each year on the anniversary of their deaths in a family event held to boost good causes.
An inaugural memorial fund-raiser will be held at Osmaston Park on May 11 – exactly a year after the house fire in Allenton which claimed the lives of the youngsters.
And organisers of the fun day said they hoped it could become an annual event and a permanent legacy to the children.
It has been arranged by charity Catch Me When I Fall – set up last year in memory of the children – to raise money for youngsters in need.
A spokesman for Catch Me When I Fall said: "It's about trying to do a bit of good on the anniversary of the children's death and we really want to try and make it an annual event in their memory."
The blaze at 18 Victory Road led to the deaths of Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers, Duwayne, 13, John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, and Jayden, five.
Parents Mick and Mairead Philpott, along with family friend Paul Mosley, were found guilty of their manslaughter earlier this month.
The spokesman said: "The death of the children was a massive tragedy and it touched most people across the nation.
"With the court case now finished, it's important to focus on taking some positive out of the negative and do something which will have a positive impact on people's lives."
He said that, ahead of the fun day, a group of close family members and friends planned to walk from Skegness to Derby in memory of the children.
He said the group of about 14 people – who are walking in aid of Catch Me When I Fall – would set off on May 7 and hoped to arrive at Osmaston Park on May 11 at 1pm, for the start of the fun day.
The event itself will feature live music and entertainment, stalls, a dog show, bouncy castles, face painting and a fancy dress competition – among other activities.
The spokesman said: "The walk is called the Long Walk Home.
"It is not being organised by the charity but it is in aid of it and the group will be collecting money in Skegness and on the way back.
"At the moment, the group are just looking for help with transportation to Skegness.
"For the event itself, we have plenty of people on board wanting to help and that's really nice."
Among children supported by Catch Me When I Fall is Tyler Stackhouse, three, of Chaddesden, who was diagnosed with leukaemia last year. The charity donated 500 wristbands to the Stackhouse family to raise money for them. It also donated a horse-drawn carriage for the funeral of five-year-old Morgan Mawson, who died of rare genetic condition infantile Batten's disease in September last year.
The spokesman said: "The charity is making a difference and it would be lovely if people across the UK could help us with our fund-raising."
He said anyone interested in helping the group walking from Skegness with transport – or who wants to get involved in helping with the fun day – should contact 07910 476 689.
For more information, visit the Catch Me When I Fall page on social network site Facebook.
