Somerset charity's fake flamingos help people isolating

Daisy's mum hired the flamingos to cheer her up for her birthday

A charity has "Flamingoed" a 11-year-old's home with its pink plastic birds to "brighten up" her birthday after she was told she had to self-isolate.

Portishead Lions in Somerset has been hiring out the flamingos for gardens and care home grounds to raise money and "brighten up people's days" in the pandemic.

Daisy said seeing them when she woke up made her feel "happy".

The club is part of an global group that fundraise and help people in need.

Portishead Lions Club UK has been running local activities and fundraising for charitable causes for 50 years.

As part of a drive to find new members and tell more people about its efforts, it launched the You've Been Flamingoed project, charging £30 for hire and with all proceeds going to charity.

Portishead Lions vice president Linda Warren said she has been inundated with bookings

Daisy said: "When I found out I wouldn't be able to see my friends I was sad.

"[In the morning] my mum told me to look out the window and there were millions of flamingos on the grass.

"They were vey pink. It made me feel happy."

The Portishead Lions Club said the flamigos were a great way to tell more people about what they do

Portishead Lions vice president Linda Warren said: "We've been quite amazed at the response so far, we've all had a miserable year, so anything to cheer people up is good."

A care assistant at Norewood Lodge Care Home in Bristol surprised its residents with the pink flamingos to "brighten up their day" after not being able to do many activities outside of the home due to Covid-19.

Residents at Norewood Carehome said the flamingos were a "lovely surprise"

A spokeswoman from the care home said: "Lynn our manager is mad on anything pink and the care assistant thought it would be a really nice idea to cheer up the residents.

"When we drove into work all we could see was flamingos in the hedges and the residents absolutely loved it, they said it was like being at the zoo.

"For our residents who are partially sighted, it's quite a nice sensory gift."