A Lancaster spiritualist's special gift is earning her hundreds of pounds for local children's charities. Medium Catherine Carlton is so successful that her customers from all over the country have started making donations to help local causes. Recently she received a £130 cheque from an 88-year-old woman in Runcorn and another £20 from a woman in southern Ireland.

Catherine says her special gift is a great comfort to people. She told the Citizen: "I was in a church in Blackpool and a woman and her two sisters who were on holiday in the resort came to me for help. They received a lot of comfort through me and wanted to donate a little something back."

Catherine has been overwhelmed by the response from people. She added: "I was in tears when I received the cheque from the 88-year-old lady. I was really overcome and could not believe that a lady of that age could give so much money. At least it means that I'm successful."

Catherine holds regular spiritual and psychic consultations at the Dolly Blue Tavern in Lancaster every Wednesday and she gives the profits to charity.

She added: "I'm not making money out of what I do. I like to give donations which can help able bodied children as well as those with disabilities."

At the moment Catherine is supporting the Christmas Present for Colin Appeal and this week she organised a special psychic evening, with six mediums, to raise money towards his new wheelchair.

The Christmas Present for Colin Appeal has been going from strength to strength and the appeal organisers have been inundated with offers of help.

Eleven-year-old Colin Rabbich of Lancaster suffers from Chronic Spinal Atrophy which means he can't stand or walk. But the appeal to buy him a new wheelchair is gathering momentum and Colin's family are confident that they will be able to raise the £3,316.20 by Christmas.

The Citizen stepped in to help raise money to buy Colin a wheelchair seven years ago. But now he's outgrown it and his family have now donated the chair to the Derian House hospice for children near Chorley.

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