11-year-old Lewes boy raises £2,800 for charity by walking 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne
An 11-year-old boy from Lewes has raised more than £2,800 for charity by completing a huge hiking challenge.
Tom Pattison walked all 100 miles of the South Downs Way, from Winchester to Eastbourne, over six days, starting on Wednesday, May 20.
He was keen to take on the challenge to raise money for the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, which was set up by his aunt and uncle in memory of Tom’s cousin Angus.
Tom said the start of his trek was tricky, but he got used to it and enjoyed getting to the top of the hills, as well as staying in different places. He was also happy to walk with two of his friends during the fifth day on the Kingston Ridge near Lewes.
Tom’s father Guy, who completed the challenge with him, said: “On the last day, he was a bit nervous about walking in the dark but we saw badgers and heard an owl in Friston Forest.”
Before his challenge, Guy and Tom’s mother Helen said Tom had trained for about ten months and had built his stamina up gradually.
Guy said: “I loved walking with Tom. In the end, he walked 109 miles and 13,954 feet of elevation. The thing that surprised me the most wasn’t that he did it, but that he made it so much fun. And while he found it tough at times, he didn’t moan once. Each day it got hotter, we started a bit earlier, starting at 6am and 7am. But on the last day my watch was saying 30 degrees at noon in Alfriston, so we stopped and restarted at 2am. The bonus of this adventure within an adventure was we walked the Seven Sisters in the cooler air at sunrise and finished at 7.30am.”
Nick Lawson, founder of the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust, said: “Tom is everything the Angus Lawson Memorial Trust stands for. At 11 years old, he is walking 100 miles to help children he will never meet, from places he has never been. That instinct, to look outward and act, is exactly what drives this organisation. Nearly £3,000 raised is not a small thing. In a world where marginalised children are too often forgotten, every pound matters enormously, and Tom has raised enough to make a real difference to real lives.”
The Angus Lawson Memorial Trust aims to improve the quality of life for the most marginalised children and young people around the world. It is marking its 20th anniversary year and people can still donate to Tom's fundraiser at thealmt.enthuse.com/pf/hikeahundred.