The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Boys’ charity walk for fire-hit NVR
A pair of 12-year-old boys who were left devastated when a railway signal box was destroyed in an arson attack said ‘nothing can stop us’ after setting off on a 10 mile sponsored walk.
Train mad friends Harry Cowley and Oliver Walker were left in tears when the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) signal box at Orton Mere was burnt out in the attack last month.
But rather than be defeated by the fire, the pair set out to fundraise to bring it back to it’s former glory, planning a sponsored walk along the length of NVR, from Woodston to Wansford.
Theboys,whobothattend Nene Park Academy, had hoped to raise £1,000 – but by the time the walk started on Thursday, (April 6), they had raised more than £12,000.
And even has heavy rain fell at the start of the walk, the two lads were in high spirits, as they were joined by the firefighters who helped put the blaze out and members of their family.
Harry said: My mum said she overheard one of our friends talking, saying they couldn’t believe we had raised more than £10,000 for the signal box.
"Nothing can stop us today – unless it starts hailing.”
Oliver said it was nice the firefighters had joined them on the walk, and that they had not been expecting to raise so much money.
Firefighters Kevin Duke and Sam Pumpr, from the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade were called to
the blaze in the early hours of March 13, said they had been very impressed by Harry and Oliver’s efforts.
Kevin said: “We attended the incident. What the two lads have done is amazing so we wanted to support them and raise a bit more for them.
Samsaid:“Theyhavedone an amazing job, so hopefully
by the end of it there will be a little more in the pot.”
Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Peterborough cllr Nick Sandford and Bella Saltmarsh turned up to congratulate the lads on their achievement.
The arson attack on the signal box was one of a number that took place in the Ortons
in March. Three people have been arrested in connection with the arsons.
To donate to Harry’s fundraising page, visit https:// www.gofundme.com/f/ nene-valley-railway-signalbox and to raise money for Oliver’s page, visit https:// www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sarah-walker-788