Nine-year-old Ollie, from Cheltenham has raised more than £2,500 for charity in the last two years, including a £910 donation for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.
In 2021, inspired by watching Children in Need, Ollie embarked on an impressive fundraising journey to ensure no child would go without a Christmas present.
Football-mad Ollie said: “I like giving money to people in need and helping people. It makes me feel happy.
“Last year I decided to raise money as part of Gingefest, which is a local event that raises money for Sue Ryder. We know the people who organise Gingefest. It’s run by somebody whose partner passed away, and they went to Sue Ryder to have care. I think it’s so good what Sue Ryder do for people in need.”
Ollie decided to harness his passion for the beautiful game to help towards his fundraising efforts.
He continued: “I’ve organised three charity football matches for Sue Ryder so far. I decided to do the first one in December, and it was freezing cold, so the next two were in the summer! Some people from my football team came, and I got all my friends to play too. I set up a Facebook page to organise and promote the event. I scored a hat trick this year! I wasn’t used to the size of the goals, so I kept hitting the post and the crossbar. I plan to do it every year from now on if I can.
“I also did a plant sale to raise money, using seeds from my Nana’s garden. I’ve taken part in Race for Life twice as well. The first time I did it with my Auntie and almost won. This time I ran with Nana, and she kept skipping bits, and wasn’t doing it properly so we kept having to redo it!”
Despite Ollie’s incredible fundraising efforts, he has his sights set on pursuing his sporting dreams.
He explained: “I’ve raised a total of £2672.91. The biggest single donation to Sue Ryder was £910. I met Alysia from the Sue Ryder fundraising team who told me what a difference it all made to the hospice, and she gave me my official Sue Ryder t-shirt. When I grow up, I want to be a football player. I’ll still donate money to charity because it makes me feel happy, but playing football does as well!”
Alysia Cameron-Price, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice said: “Ollie is an inspiration to all of us! To raise such a huge amount of money is simply amazing and shows real dedication.
“The funds Ollie has raised will make a huge difference to the lives of the patients and families we are able to support when it matters most.”
For more information on fundraising for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice email: leckhampton.fundraising@
About Sue Ryder:
At Sue Ryder, we can’t make life’s most difficult moments easy, but we can carry some of the load. For more than 70 years, we have been a source of strength and support for anyone living with a life-limiting illness or grief.
Dying and grief are universal experiences, but too many people face them alone. We are a safe and reassuring hand you can reach for. From providing care and support for someone at the end of their life to helping someone manage their grief, we know there is no one size fits all when it comes to how we cope and the help we need.
We campaign for everyone who is approaching the end of their life or grieving to have access to the right support, at the right time. And we seek to break down the barriers to talking about dying and grief – so we can all be better prepared and better equipped to be there for each other.
We can make a positive difference during even the darkest of times. Whether in the last months, weeks or days of life, or living with grief, we help people live the best life they possibly can. We are there when it matters.
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