Cannock mum's charity to offer olive branch to people in need

And now Marie Hayden has launched her own charity helping good causes 365 days of the year.

The mother-of-four from Cannock who runs Florida Sun Tanning and Beauty salon in Bridgtown raised £17,000 for charities and good causes last year.

Mrs Hayden, aged 36, along with three friends, Rachael Shalloe-Cooper, Paula Williams and Vicky Mitchell, launched The Olive Circle Foundation on Thursday to help people in need in Staffordshire the Black Country and the wider Midlands.

She said: "What started out as something small, like giving a few tins to the food bank, has turned into something full-time. There is always something going on.

"After I did 52 charities in 52 weeks everyone said 'are you going to take some time off now?' but I thought I am on a bit of a roll now.

"It is just about managing your time properly. I have just dropped my boys off at Beavers and I am sat outside answering emails instead of being at home watching Emmerdale.

"But for me charity work is my social life as well. You meet a lot of people through doing it."

Mrs Hayden of Long Croft in Cannock said her major issue with some of the large national charities is that people did not always know exactly where their money goes - something which she vowed would not be a feature of The Olive Circle Foundation.

She added: "The sort of people we really want to help are those that are lost in the system and suffer in silence when all they really need is something simple, like a disabled person who needs a surface lowered or alterations to their house but can't get it done because of red tape.

"We will still be helping charities but we will not simply be giving money away to people to spend on a holiday. We want to go out and investigate each case ourselves in person which is why we are focusing on the local area.

"Our motto is we want to support the needy and not the greedy."

To find out more search for 'The Olive Circle Foundation' on Facebook.