Teenage fundraiser’s Spinnaker challenge
A FAREHAM Academy student hopes to raise money and ‘give back’ to a children’s bereavement charity which helped him through the loss of his grandad.
14-year-old Joseph Tillotson hopes to raise at least £500 for Simon Says, a charity in Hampshire which helped him ‘understand his feelings’ following his grandfather’s loss.
The charity aims to support Hampshire children and young people, up to the age of 18 years, who have a significant person in their life who has died or is dying.
Joseph said: ‘I’ve seen the positive affect that charities like Simon Says have on people and I wanted give back.
‘My grandfather passed away during Covid last year, and it was really hard. I saw a poster in school of Simon Says and that they met every month down at Gosport, so I went and they really helped me.’ Having previously held fundraisers for various local charities including the Andrew Simpson Centre, Rowans Hospice and The Rainbow Centre, Joseph is looking forward to the abseil from the Spinnaker Tower due to take place on August 28.
‘I abseiled down Fareham fire tower on my eighth birthday. I found it actually really fun,’ he said.
‘In some ways I am very lucky, but some of my friends at Simon Says have lost their mum or dad or a brother or sister which is really hard.’
His mum, Lucy Tillotson, said: ‘He spent this Sunday handing out letters around Southsea shopping precinct asking the managers of different shops if they would be able to help him help Simon Says by sponsoring him or donating.’ To donate to Joseph’s fundraiser visit justgiving. com/fundraising/josephtillotson1