Billy plans epic £1,000 fund raiser for stroke-affected people
Billy Fisher may only be 7 3/4, but he's walking three miles for charity on Saturday 6 September… and raising over £1,000 in sponsorship.
Young Bristolian Billy Fisher may only be seven and three quarters, but he has set his sights on not only walking three miles for charity on Saturday 6 September… but has already raised over £1,000 in sponsorship.
Billy is raising the money for Bristol After Stroke, which supports over 1,400 stroke affected local people every year on their recovery journey, by taking part in their annual fund-raising walk which starts in Eastville Park and goes along the picturesque Frome Valley Walkway.
It’s a good cause that means a lot personally to Billy: his mum Stella co-ordinates support services for stroke-affected people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire; but also, he says, “My Auntie Sammy, my Grandad and my Great Auntie Sue have all had a stroke. It is important to help people if you can.”
Billy has been getting fit over the summer by playing lots of basketball. In addition, he has been getting in some miles on family walks and doesn’t feel too daunted by the prospect of managing three miles.
His dad has also provided a personal incentive for him to finish: “I’m hoping to get an ice cream or some chocolate at the end.”
While Billy started off with a fund-raising target of £300, that figure has kept on going up and up as more and more people have pledged money to his donation page.
So who has been sponsoring him? “So many people,” he says, “Some of Mum’s friends at work, people who go to her groups, as well as people who volunteer and run activities with her groups.
“Some people on my street have given money and even my friend who moved to New Zealand last year gave me some NZ dollars. Plus, lots of my friends from school and lots of my mum and dad’s friends. And, obviously, all my family!
“I am quite proud,” he says. “I hope I do well for everyone.”
Says BAS Fund Raising Officer, Jenny Hollis, “We’ve been blown way by Billy’s determination to not only do the walk but also raise as much money as he can. At present he is our biggest fund raiser on the walk.
“Not only that, but the John James Foundation, Bristol has promised to match fund whatever we raise up to £10,000 – so Billy looks like raising over £2,000 for us at the moment.”
You can find Billy’s fundraising page here: https://bas-charity-walk.raiselysite.com/billy-fisher
How can others join this year’s Charity Walk?
There are still places available on the walk – see the link below. This year, everything raised in entries and sponsorship will be generously match-funded up to a maximum of £10,000 by the John James Bristol Foundation.
