“It’s going to get very challenging. But when I finish, I know 100 per cent that it will be the best feeling that I’ve had in years,” Jacob said. “I’ll be thinking of my grandad all the way through and it’ll be an honour to pass on the funds to the charity that helped him out so much. “So far I’ve raised £1,200 towards my £1,400 goal. Any support that anyone can offer to help me hit my target would be hugely appreciated.” Blind Veterans UK has adapted its service to support its 5,000 beneficiaries, 90% of whom are over 70 and at an increased risk from Covid-19.
The Year in Review continues with March and April. And so it all started. March and April were the first months of coronavirus restrictions across the UK, and few could have foreseen that they would continue in one form or another for the rest of the year.
Thursday, March 5, ‘Fundraising bid for Olivia’: A huge £60,000 fundraising campaign was launched to help three-year-old Olivia Wright to walk. The St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School pupil had bilateral cerebral palsy and spasticity which meant she was a full-time wheelchair user and required additional care. The target sum would help to fund selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery, a high-risk procedure which reduces muscle spasticity permanently. “Even if the operation isn’t successful, it is that transfer off equipment,” said mum Claire. “It is everything in life.”