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19 July 2024

Day One supporters raise more than £50,000 during busy month of fundraising challenges

by Dave Nichols

100k in june fundraisers collage 2024

People from across the UK found fun and innovative ways to raise more than £50,000 for Day One during a jampacked month of fundraising activities.

More than 200 people took part in our summer challenge event 100k in June – finding wonderful ways to travel 100km throughout the month to raise money for people with life-changing injuries.

And a further 300 people took part in other activities, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks, two charity golf days, a skydive, summer draw, and community events such as dances and entertainment nights.

Throughout June Day One supporters ran, walked, cycled, swam, rolled and rode their way to 100 kilometres, raising more than £28,000. Among those who took part was amputee Rob Smith from Hessle, near Hull. Rob and his partner Emma were supported by Day One after he lost his right leg in a forklift accident. He completed the challenge by swimming, rowing, walking and using his wheelchair. He also inspired a team made up of amputees and prosthetic professionals to raise more than £2,000.

Rob said: "As I recovered more, I knew I wanted to do something to challenge myself and raise money for Day One. That’s why I took part in this challenge. I knew it would be tough, but I loved the fact I could complete it my own way - a mixture of swimming, rowing, walking and using my wheelchair.

"Taking part as a team with staff from STEPS Prosthetics, and fellow amputees, was great. We’d all go for a walk dressed in our orange Day One t-shirts and could have a bit of a laugh and a joke. But it also gave us valuable time together to ask questions and talk about things that only other amputees understand.

"There were definitely some hard days, but when it got tough I just pushed on, knowing I was doing it for a good cause. And when I watched our fundraising total get over £2,000, it was a great feeling."

039 rob smith web crop

Personal injury lawyer Paul McClorry from Manchester chose 10 ways to complete his 100k, which included running and swimming the Great North Swim, hiking the Yorkshire Three Peaks, paddleboarding, running backwards, skipping, hopping, bouncing on a children’s space hopper, carrying his wife, and finally pushing a radish around an athletics track with his nose.

This year we had more people than ever complete the challenge on horseback, including Louise Bolda from East Lothian who had never heard of the charity before. She was inspired to take part on her horses Dinky and Luna after suffering her own injury and learning about the fantastic work Day One does to support the equestrian community due to catastrophic injuries suffered from falls.

And many runners wore the Day One vest with pride during Great Manchester Run, Hull 10k and Great North 10k.

A group of 40 hikers, including Day One caseworkers and staff, took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks and One Peak in horrendous weather conditions, raising nearly £14,000 through sponsorship.

Our Leeds caseworker Marianne joined a team of thrill-seekers who braved the heights with a skydive from 14,000ft. The team included law firm partner Thomas Pearson who lost an amazing five stone in weight so he could take part, raising £2,130 along the way.

And two golf days, including one attended by former England cricketer Darren Gough, saw people take to the green and bid on fantastic auction prizes to raise more than £5,000 collectively.

Skydive caseworker marianne 2024

Kirsty Christmas, fundraising manager for Day One Trauma Support, said: “Wow, what an incredible month we had in June and we’re delighted so many people felt inspired to take part in such an array of fundraising activities for Day One. We’ve been impressed by the variety of ways people have got involved this year, and it’s been fantastic to see so many return supporters too. We don’t get any NHS or Government funding, so rely on the generosity of our supporters to ensure we can help anyone affected by catastrophic injury. Money raised from these challenges will help us ensure no one is left to cope on their own when their lives have suddenly been changed.”

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