May bank-holiday weekend saw people from across Devon taking part in the Captain Tom 100 challenge to raise vital funds for YMCA Exeter’s work with local, young people.
From skating 100 laps of the Heavitree skatepark, to litter picking 100 pieces of litter around St David’s Hill, local people used their imagination and rose to the challenge.
Hilary Bush, YMCA Exeter’s Events and Partnerships Coordinator, shares how the 3-day event went:
“It was wonderful to see people of all ages getting involved in the 100 challenge. We had a five-year-old selling 100 cakes to her local community, we had a gentleman walking 100 miles across the Devon countryside. Others took part in a litter-pick. It really was diverse and inspiring.”
Every penny that has been raised for YMCA Exeter will be used to help tackle Exeter’s challenging housing crisis by transforming an abandoned warehouse in the city centre, into affordable flats for local, young people.
“I enjoyed participating in the Captain Tom 100 Challenge as I enjoy skating,” says 13-year-old Ern Qi. “During the course of the week, I raised £210 so I skated the same number of laps at the skatepark and in my close.”
Friday 30 April would have marked Captain Sir Tom’s 101st birthday and was the one-year anniversary of the extraordinary celebrations that followed the conclusion of his fundraising walk that raised an incredible £38.9 million for the NHS.
Following the outpouring of heartfelt messages since Captain Sir Tom’s death on 2 February this year, his family pledged to celebrate his life with an event that everyone around the world could get involved in to celebrate his generosity, hope and sense of fun – the Captain Tom 100 Challenge.
By joining the thousands of people around the world taking part in Captain Tom 100, together we were able to spread his message of hope while raising much-needed funds for YMCA Exeter.
