Fran’s painting brought Blackburn guests to tears

Politics Desk 2026-10-09 15:06 3 min read

An artist with a hat paints a coastal landscape on an outdoor easel.

Fran’s unfinished painting raised £2,000 for Derian House Children’s Hospice at its annual ball in Blackburn. The Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Councillor Mahfooz Hussain, bought the work at auction and then gave it back to Fran’s mother and sister, who had completed it in her memory.

The moment came during the sold-out charity ball at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel. The event raised £43,226 for Derian House, while more than £6,000 was generated for its Derian Wishes programme. The painting’s sale was one part of that fundraising, and its return meant the family could keep a piece of Fran’s work.

Fran’s sister completed the painting for the ball

Francesca McCaigue, known as Fran, began the artwork earlier this year. She hoped it would be displayed at the ball, but died in July aged 22 before she could finish it. Her sister, Chlöe, added to the piece so it could be shown in Fran’s memory.

Fran’s mother, Nicola, said Fran had been looking forward to the event and had already chosen a dress to wear. The family’s plans for the ball therefore remained closely tied to Fran, even after her death: her work was displayed, and Chlöe’s contribution helped bring it to completion.

After Fran’s story was shared with guests, Hussain bid £2,000 for the painting. He said he wanted to raise money for the hospice and had intended to return the artwork to the family. Nicola called the gesture “a beautiful moment” and said she and Chlöe both cried. The painting returned to them as a keepsake of Fran and the work she had started.

Fran’s painting brought Blackburn guests to tears

Derian House had been part of Fran’s life since childhood

Fran had been connected with Derian House since she was eight. Her family said staff had known her throughout that time, and that she made lifelong friends there and experienced things she might not otherwise have had the chance to do. She spent her 22nd birthday, her final birthday, at the hospice.

Derian House supports children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their families across the North West. The ball’s fundraising included both its overall total of £43,226 and more than £6,000 for Derian Wishes, a programme named in the source as part of the event’s proceeds. The source does not give further detail on how that programme allocates the money.

The auction raised money and returned the work to Fran’s family

Hussain said Fran’s story moved him after he heard it at the ball. He described bidding for the artwork as a way to support the children’s hospice, while his plan to give it back allowed the family to retain it.

For Nicola and Chlöe, the painting carries both Fran’s unfinished work and the changes Chlöe made to complete it. The £2,000 auction bid also contributed directly to the hospice, alongside the wider proceeds from the sold-out event. The Mayor’s £2,000 artwork story reports on the return of the painting to the family.

Source: Blackburn with Darwen Council News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source context

This report follows the published account of the Derian House ball and the family’s comments about Fran’s artwork.