CARING staff at a busy hotel have been raising their glasses - and plenty of money - after being inspired by the bravery of a tragic schoolboy.

The team at Uplawmoor Hotel decided to coin in cash for the Brightest Star charity, which was set up in memory of five-year-old Renfrew boy Jack Kennedy.

Jack fell victim to a virus in 2012, just six days before what would have been his sixth birthday on Christmas Day.

His mum Arlene was shocked when she went to see Jack after his post-mortem and found him cuddling a dirty old teddy.

Staff hadn’t wanted him to be alone but Arlene thought that Jack, and children like him, deserved better.

And, together with her husband Derek, she launched Brightest Star, to make teddies for children who die in hospital and memory boxes for their families.

After learning all about Jack, employees at the Uplawmoor Hotel decided to spend a month generating money for Brightest Star.

And a host of activities, including a 10K run, a beer festival and a pub quiz, helped to raise the impressive total of £1,500.

The hotel also donated a percentage to the cause each time a customer bought one of its Kelburn Brewery ales or any Scottish gins.

Set up by Renfrewshire woman Arlene Smith in memory of her son, the Brightest Star has offered assistance to families mourning the loss of a child.

Uplawmoor Hotel owner Emma Peacock helped to organise the four-week-long series of fundraisers after being moved by Jack's story.

She praised all those who helped the staff members to hit the grand total and said: "During “Ochtoberfest”, the Scottish version of the German festival, we did various fundraising activities.

"Five people ran the Glasgow 10K. In association with Kelburn Brewery we made a donation for every real ale purchased and also any Scottish Gin throughout the month.

"We hosted a pub quiz which was very well attended and a 'Name the Bear' competition.

"Completing the fundraising, we hosted a fun fancy dress Halloween karaoke with a raffle.

"A lot of people and companies donated generous prizes and their time to make this possible."

Little Jack died just six days before his sixth birthday in 2012.

An adenovirus left the youngster starved of oxygen and caused him to suffer significant brain damage.

Arlene spent weeks trawling the internet looking for ways to cope with her child's death, but realised that it was not readily available.

She then launched the Brightest Star to provide bereaved families with a support service that would give them the chance to meet others in a similar position and access professional help.

For more details about the Brightest Star, go to: brighteststar.org.uk

ENDS

dec 2013- aRLENE Clark and Derek Kennedy’s world was shattered when their beloved son Jack died in their arms.

He fell victim to a virus a year ago, just six days before what would have been his sixth birthday on Christmas Day.

Arlene was shocked when they went to see Jack after his post mortem and found him cuddling a dirty old teddy.

Staff hadn’t wanted him to be alone but Arlene thought that Jack, and children like him, deserved better.

Arlene and Derek have launched the charity Brightest Star, to make teddies for children who die in hospital and memory boxes for their families.

Their heartbreak began on December 18 last year when Derek went to wake Jack for school, only to find him unconscious and not breathing.

He was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, where doctors managed to restart his heart.

With no spare beds at Yorkhill children’s hospital in Glasgow, specialist medics took critically ill Jack to Edinburgh’s sick kids hospital.

There, he was diagnosed with an adenovirus infection, which had attacked his heart and made it stop, starving his brain of oxygen and causing brain damage.

Jack fought for 24 hours before he passed away in his mum’s arms with his dad by his side.

Last Thursday, on the first anniversary of his death, Jack’s friends and family came together at Build-A-Bear Workshop in Glasgow’s Braehead shopping centre.

They made 20 teddies for children who die in hospital, which will be given to mortuaries throughout Scotland to make sure the youngsters are never alone.

Pupils from Jack’s school, St James’s Primary in Renfrew, have pledged to help make more bears after the new year.

Schoolteacher Arlene, 29, thinks the teddies will bring some comfort to other parents whose world has fallen apart.

Arlene, from Renfrew, said: “We went to the mortuary to see him. Staff had given Jack this teddy so he wouldn’t be alone.

“It was the last thing he cuddled but it was dirty and smelly. I was really upset that it had been in with him.”

As well as teddies, Brightest Star are providing “memory boxes” so parents can take things, such as a lock of their child’s hair, home with them.

Arlene added: “I keep thinking back to just before last Christmas, he was a happy, healthy, normal little boy.

“People say time is a healer but actually as time goes on, it’s longer since you’ve seen them, longer since you’ve not cuddled them or heard their voice.

“A year down the line, it’s really just sinking in that Jack’s gone forever.”

Visit www.brighteststar.org.uk for more information on Arlene’s charity.