This line up of amazing fundraisers are all Pride of Britain regional winners and they will now be put forward for ITV Fundraiser of the Year at the Mirror’s awards.
One of these incredible charity champions could be the Pride of Britain. One of these fundraisers will be chosen by Pride of Britain judges to be named as the ITV Fundraiser of the Year at the Mirror’s awards.
The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards with P&O Cruises honour the nation’s unsung heroes, with a star-studded celebration, screened on ITV in the Autumn. Here are the final regional fundraising winners, dedicated to improving the lives of others.
Amanda and Jon Sheehy, Norwich, Norfolk
Little Amber Sheehy died in 2023 – an hour before her ninth birthday – after spending most of her life fighting a brain tumour.
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Determined to ensure her legacy lived on, parents Amanda and Jon founded the charity Amber’s Army which has raised more than £250,000 since her death, through events like the Amber’s Army Ball and charity football matches.
“We noticed there was a lot of support for the poorly child, but that’s where it stops. So, we focus on supporting the rest of the family,” said Jon.
Most recently, they organised the Amber’s Army Allstars vs Norwich City Legends match, persuading ex-players to take part – raising money for ‘rainbow’ moments, ranging from trips away to enabling families to spend time together away from a medical setting.
“Amber was so special, she always smiled. We were so blessed to have her,” said Amanda.
Victoria ‘Tor’ Skinner, Northampton
Mum of one Victoria Skinner, 38 – known as Tor – was told she may only have three years to live in 2021, after a diagnosis of incurable stage 4 secondary breast cancer.
“I thought, ‘I can’t make it go away – so what am I going to do? Just wait for it to kill me?’,” said Tor, who has chemotherapy every three weeks.
Mum to Isla, six, she exercises regularly at a local gym and became one of the first people to compete in a HYROX fitness race, while having cancer treatment.
She has now raised more than £33,000 for her charity, the Tor-Rox Foundation which funds exercise for people with cancer. She said: “I wanted to help others feel what I had experienced.”
Steve Jack, of Eastriggs, near Gretna
Born with Spina Bifida, Steve Jack – who has had both legs amputated – has been in a wheelchair all his life.
During regular physio appointments, Steve heard about 10-year-old Joshua, who was struggling to have an active childhood because of his cerebral palsy.
Determined to help, Steve pushed himself to the 1207ft summit of Latrigg Fell above Keswick and raised £2,000 to buy Joshua an all terrain wheelchair.
Since then, Steve, who works at Welcome Break services in Gretna, has become the first wheelchair user to complete the Cross Border 10K Race – raising £2,800 for three-year-old Koda , who has leukaemia. “It’s a way of giving back. If I can help someone in need then I’ll try my best,” said Steve.
Gill and Steve Ayling, Scunthorpe
The death of their son Nathan, aged 31, from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2019, turned Gill and Steve Ayling into avid charity fundraisers – determined to raise money for vital heart-screening sessions for young people.
Figures from Cardiac Risk in the Young show 12 young people die every week from an undetected heart condition, with around 80% show no symptoms.
So Gill, 62, and Steve, 68, now campaign for heart screening to be made available to anyone under the age of 35 and have raised £70,000 to enable a cardiac charity to put on sessions in their town.
“Nathan was lovely; a cheeky chappie, very funny. I think he’d be amazed and I hope proud of what we’re doing,” said Gill.
Kimberley Hattersley-Barton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
First diagnosed with cancer at 13 months, now 27, Kimberley Hattersley-Barton has received four further cancer diagnoses – the latest being the return of tongue cancer in January.
A keen dancer, she advocates for other patients, raising awareness of the long-term impact of childhood cancer, and has arranged two major galas for charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Beads of Courage UK and Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Having benefited from charitable support herself, she is determined to give back and organised the galas – which raised around £40,000 – while having treatment.
“I know the impact these charities make,” she said. “They do amazing work for children and young people, bringing light and joy into their lives.”
John Bell, Huthwaite. Nottinghamshire
Carrying a bathtub adorned with rubber ducks and dressed as the Marvel character Deadpool, John Bell, 46, cuts a striking figure.
Since his son Jake, 15, tragically committed suicide in 2020, ex-Army man John has completed multiple walking challenges to raise cash for suicide prevention charities – particularly Papyrus, which offers support for young people struggling with mental health.
And a closer look at his rubber ducks reveals that each carries the name of a young person who has taken their own life.
John, who launched the charity Walk 4 Hope said:“I am proud I have learned to live through losing my son. I find Jake in my heart every day.”
Cian and Jordan Adams, Redditch, Worcestershire
Brothers Jordan and Cian Adams have both discovered in their 20s they have inherited the frontotemporal dementia gene, which means they will develop dementia in their 40s and makes them 50% more likely to pass it on to their children.
Diagnosed, aged 47, their mum Geraldine died in 2015, aged 52.
But, determined to help find a cure, Jordan, 29, and Cian, 23, have raised more than £300,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK – for which they are both ambassadors.
“We most likely just have 15 healthy summers left to squeeze the most out of life we can,” said Cian. “But anyone who donates can help us change that.”
Last year the brothers ran from Lands End to John O’Groats – covering 30 miles a day – and while their prognosis is heartbreaking, Cian sees it as a ‘licence to live’ – and to keep their mum’s memory alive.
Jo Priaulx, Guernsey
Since Jo Priaulx launched the Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation 22 years ago, following the premature births of her two children – Seb, born four weeks early in 2001, and Daniella, born five weeks early in 2003 – £1.4m has been raised to support families affected by prembirths in Guernsey.
Awarded an MBE for her service to neonatal care in Guernsey, Jo’s charity in St Peter Port provides new equipment for the island’s neonatal unit and has assisted in setting up three flats, so families who need to travel to University Hospital Southampton with their premature babies or critically ill children, can remain together.
This year, more than 400 islanders joined Jo, 55, for her sixth annual glittering charity ‘Blingo’ event. Jo said “The charity would be nothing without the community. It’s all about the community coming together.”
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