Eastbourne brothers, 8 and 5, help raise £800 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice

Jacob, 8 and Arlo, 5, approached businesses around Eastbourne asking them to donate prizes to their very own raffle. They hoped to raise £250 by selling 50 tickets at £5 each, using a sweepstake form provided in the sponsorship pack.

The pair quickly exceeded their expectations, selling 100 tickets in just 72 hours. Businesses kept donating prizes and friends, family, colleagues and strangers kept snapping up tickets, taking their final fundraising figure to an incredible £825.

Mum, Rachel O’Neill, said: “I’m super proud of the boys and in particular the confidence they have shown when approaching businesses with their pitch – they have made it pretty hard for them to say no! Their tenacity has paid off and they have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity.

“They are home educated and have shown a real interest in learning more about how they can help others and fundraise for charities in need. Last year they raised over £600 for the DEC Ukraine Appeal by making and selling cupcakes. This year they wanted to support St Wilfrid’s. We are so proud of the social citizens they are becoming.”

Following the money being raised, a spokesperson for St Wilfrid’s Hospice said in a statement: “A big thank you to Jacob and Arlo. They show that there are lots of ways to raise money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice – it’s not always about getting sponsorship.”