Five-year-old Ollie Slocket, of New Longton, is gearing up quite literally for the ride of his life in a couple of weeks’ time!
The reception class pupil at New Longton All Saints’ CE Primary School is to double down on the longest distance he’s ever cycled before to pedal 10km along the prom in Morecambe on Sunday, 1st December, to raise funds for the team at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity and their ‘Give a Gift this Christmas’ project.
Ollie, who will be riding with mum Hannah running besides him, has a fundraising page athttps://gofund.me/b44581f0 that has already reached £330 plus mum has collected £150 in cash donations.
Hannah said: “Ollie is a real giver. He has been training a lot for his cycle. It’s much further than he’s ever ridden before so we have family and friends planning to meet us towards the end of the route to keep Ollie going but he really wants to raise money to buy gifts for children, who are a bit poorly and in hospital this Christmas.”
Among those who will be cheering Ollie on will be dad Sam and little brother Teddy (two). The charity team’s Lucy Clark said: “It’s always lovely to hear stories like Ollie’s of children wanting to help other children. There’s nothing more heart-warming and we wish Ollie all the luck in the world for his big cycle.
“Our ‘Give a Gift this Christmas’ project is to buy gifts not just for young patients but also for anyone, whatever their age, who finds themselves in either the Royal Preston or Chorley and South Ribble Hospital on Christmas Day.”
Lucy continued: “Thanks to Stagecoach, for the second consecutive year we have a ‘Give a Gift this Christmas’ bus. On Monday, 16th December, we’ll be taking it on visits to workplaces, businesses and schools that want to support the project to collect gifts and donations for gifts.
“Things like toiletry sets, socks, hats, puzzle and colouring books, as well as books in general, and stationery items such as colouring pencils all make great gifts that won’t break the bank but are guaranteed to raise a smile when gifted.”
Anyone wanting to catch the gift bus on its travels and have it stop at their location should email lucy.clark@lthtr.nhs.uk