Nanna takes on bucket list challenge to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust

A local Nanna ticked one item off her bucket list last week when she took on a 40mph zip wire challenge to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust.

Janet Boulton, from Newbold, pushed herself out of her comfort zone to raise vital funds for The Sick Children’s Trust, a charity which supported her daughter’s family with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation. Janet’s daughter, Zoe Jackson, and son-in-law Dale Jackson, both 37 also from Newbold, were supported at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Eckersley House when their daughter, Imogen, required major surgery on the right-hand side of her body.

In 2014, Imogen was born with a rare condition known as Poland Syndrome which is characterised by the webbing of the fingers and underdevelopment of chest muscle. Imogen had to undergo surgery at Leeds Children’s Hospital – 90 minutes away from home – but she was never alone thanks to The Sick Children’s Trust. Janet, who took on the challenge with her grandson Jacob and together raised £215, said:

“Ever since Zoe was supported at Eckersley House we’ve wanted to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust.

“I had been watching Celebrity 5 Go Caravanning and saw Tony Blackburn doing a zip wire and thought, ‘right – that’s the one for me! I called up Mount Cook Adventure Centre who said I could do it there, so I told all my friends and family what I was doing and the donations came flooding in. My aim was to raise £100, and once we’ve totted everything up we think it may be closer to £400. I just can’t believe everyone’s generosity, but I know The Sick Children’s Trust is a cause so many people can relate to.

“I wasn’t one bit nervous doing the challenge – though everyone else’s nerves nearly made me! I was more worried about not being able to do it due to the high winds, as all I’ve wanted is to say thank you to The Sick Children’s Trust for supporting my daughter.”

Eckersley House is one of ten ‘Homes from Home’ run by The Sick Children’s Trust. It costs £30 to support a family for one night and the charity relies entirely on voluntary donations to meet this cost. Imogen’s mum, Zoe, said:

“We’re so proud of my mum for taking on this huge challenge, she’s fantastic. I went along on the day to support her and Jacob, and looking at how high it was and how long it went on for made my legs wobble! It was ever-so windy up there too, but they were both very brave and did a brilliant job.

“My family have been supported twice at Eckersley House and unless you’ve ever been in the situation where your child is seriously ill in hospital, you’ll never know the weight that is lifted by being given free accommodation. It means so much to us that Mum has been able to raise money for the charity that really helped us in our time of need.”

Every year, The Sick Children’s Trust supports around 4,000 families with free ‘Home from Home’ accommodation. Jane McHale, Eckersley House Manager, added:

“We’re so pleased to hear that both Janet and Jacob enjoyed taking on the zip wire challenge for us and can’t thank them enough for fundraising. This money will go towards supporting another family, like Imogen’s, ensuring they are no more than just a few minutes from their child’s hospital bedside.”

For further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, please visit http://www.sickchildrenstrust.org/