The achievements of local young fundraisers are being championed in a new scheme launched by Julia’s House, the Wiltshire and Dorset children’s hospice charity.
During last year the charity has seen an increase in the number of young people wanting to do their bit to support the families cared for by Julia’s House. These included 13-year-old Ellie Evans (pictured above) from Corsham, who completed an hour-long climbathon at Corsham Climbing Wall to raise more than £1,600 for the charity.
Ellie’s mum, Emma Evans, said, “We’re really proud of Ellie – she likes to help other people and she absolutely loves climbing, so the challenge was perfect for her. Ellie’s Nan – my mum Christine Burton – was the person that encouraged Ellie to fundraise for Julia’s House and the families they care for. She was always keen to support local charities and she wanted Ellie to appreciate how lucky she was to be healthy. Sadly, she passed away shortly after Ellie completed the challenge, but she was immensely proud of her for doing it.”
Emma added, “We were really pleased with how much Ellie raised for Julia’s House. Her Nan donated £1,000 and we also had a huge amount of support from my colleagues, neighbours, family and Ellie’s school friends too.”
Ellie, a Year 8 pupil at The Corsham School, said, “I really enjoyed the challenge – I managed to climb up the wall 50 times in an hour and my arms were hurting towards the end. It helped that some of my friends from school were there to cheer me on. If anyone is thinking about becoming a young fundraiser for Julia’s House, I would say don’t worry about it – just go for it, choose something you like doing and you’ll really enjoy it.”
Anyone aged 16 and under who fundraises for Julia’s House will automatically enter the Young Fundraisers scheme, completing their first fundraising event to receive a Level 1 certificate and badge, before progressing through the levels with each subsequent event.
“We wanted to champion the difference young fundraisers make to Julia’s House and celebrate their commitment and support,” said Alex Wilcox, Public Fundraising Assistant for Julia’s House. “The money they raise has a big impact on the children and families we care for.
“The new Young Fundraisers scheme acknowledges their great contribution and hopefully provides them with a really positive experience of fundraising. We would love local children and young people to continue to fundraise for us and encourage them to take their spirit of giving with them as they grow older, which feels an important message at the moment.”
Julia’s House looks after the most seriously ill children across Wiltshire and Dorset, providing vital respite breaks to exhausted parents and supporting worried and anxious siblings. Many of these children have complex and often rare medical conditions which require 24-hour care, and in many cases are not expected to live beyond early adulthood.
Learn more about becoming a Julia’s House Young Fundraiser at www.juliashouse.org/youngfundraisers