BY ANDREW THOMAS

 

Many of you will have seen the inspiring story on the news about 11-year-old Max Woosey, who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity by camping out in his North Devon garden for a year.

Max, from Braunton, has slept in a tent in his family's back garden every night, whatever the weather, since the first lockdown in March. He is raising money for North Devon Hospice, which looked after a friend who was dying from cancer during his final days.

It is an amazing achievement.

We have our own fund-raising heroes here in South Lakeland, as highlighted in last week's The Westmorland Gazette.

Kendal teacher Jane Reedy is planning a summer of outdoor challenges to mark the five-year anniversary of her remission from cancer.

This month she will embark on her Big 5 Challenge, which will see her run, cycle, swim, ride and walk hundreds of miles across the Lake District and north Lancashire in her quest to raise £5,000 for CancerCare.

Members of an Ulverston family have been raising money for St Mary's Hospice as they seek to walk up Hoad Hill 100 days in a row.

Dad Adam Williamson, mum Nicola and children Harley, nine, Lorcan, six, Tyler, seven and Saoirse, five, set themselves the challenge of walking up the hill every day in January for fun.

Adam, Harley and Lorcan then continued the challenge with a fund-raising element - to raise as much as possible for St Mary's Hospice, which is based in the town. So far, the total raised is more than £2,300 and there is still a number of weeks before completion. The family had already donated £116 to the hospice last year, the fruits of the children selling home-baked cakes at the end of their driveway.

South Lakes vet Dr Gemma Holloway will take on the gruelling Trek26, a challenging 26-miles walk among the fells around Ullswater, in August to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.

And Paul Liptrot, from Wigan, will climb the National Three Peaks - Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon - in one day in September to raise cash for Animal Rescue Cumbria, The Wainwright Shelter.

Well done to them all.