A 25-mile walk over 10 hours was the latest challenge for determined fundraiser Sarah Tate – and she is already gearing up to tackle a 24-hour row.
Sarah, from Lees, is raising money to help locals of all ages and backgrounds through her charitable trust called Sarah’s Community Challenge’s Project (SCCP).
She added £655 to the kitty from sponsorship and donations for the walk on Remembrance Day, which she took on with family and friends in aid of Broughton House Veteran Care Village and Oldham Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club.
Sarah explained: “We went to the Festival of Remembrance and then stayed awake so we could set off walking at 3am from Dovestones!
“We went over Pots and Pans and then were joined at 7.30am at Lees Cemetery, which was the 10-mile mark, by SCCP supporters/volunteers.
“We finished at Oldham Athletic and were invited by Oldham Athletic Veterans and Armed Forces Supporters Group to watch the match with them. We got to half-time but then left because we were absolutely shattered!”
Sarah and her supporters also paid a special visit to Royton Cemetery on Remembrance Sunday and were greeted by Major Eddy Hardaker, who had loaned his bergens from Afghanistan and Iraq to Sarah and Mark to carry.
The funds raised, and any more donations until early December, will help pay for a Christmas Dinner for the Oldham Armed Forces and Veterans Club, with enough for 25 meals already.
Sarah is also inviting children to write Christmas cards for the veterans and she hopes it will start an intergenerational pen-pal scheme.
The next challenge in the calendar is quickly approaching and will see Sarah tackle a 24-rowing challenge on December 1-2.
She is starting at 5pm on December 1 at Stubby’s Boxing Gym at Shaw, and anyone is welcome to get involved and join in from 9pm onwards (after classes have taken place).
At 10am on December 2, she will hand over to her partner John at Scholes Gym, who have donated a rowing machine for the challenge, on Lees Road.
He will tackle an hour-long row before Sarah continues the challenge from 11am outside Oldham Athletic Event Centre, where everyone is again invited to join in and donate.
The challenge is a nod to Greenfield’s Frank Rothwell, who is rowing 3,000 miles solo across the Atlantic Ocean for the second time, starting in December, in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Money raised by Sarah’s 24-hour row will benefit local causes Dr Kershaw’s Dementia Hub and Springboard as well as some contributions to Frank’s charity.
Sarah is also well into planning for a Ball on February 3 which is raising funds for Harper’s Army for a 21-month-old girl who has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Her family is aiming to raise £300,000 for pioneering treatment in the USA.
Sarah hopes all these fundraising initiatives will smash her target of £5,000 raised, which she needs to complete her registration as a charitable trust.
She has already been making donations, including boxing equipment to Stubby’s and £260 to Mahdlo for memberships, but charitable trust status will open doors to help even more people.
She said: “People might think ‘This girl is crazy!’ but her heart is in the right place and we just want to help.”
The trust’s mascot is Tommy the Turtle to embody their motto of ‘Together We Can Cross The Line’ and it does not matter how long it takes.
Anyone doing their own personal challenges can take Tommy along for the ride and send in pictures – just get in touch with Sarah.
- To find out more and support Sarah in her challenges, or purchase tickets for the ball, contact her by email sarah.tate@sccp.org.uk or call her on 0161 383 4657.
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