A young footballer who raised thousands of pounds for East Anglia's Children's Hospices as a tribute to his brother who died from a rare condition is kicking off in a new fundraising campaign.

Players with Huntingdon Town Rowdies U14s, including Stuie Delf, 14, have started the New Year by each pledging to run 60 miles in 35 days, meaning they will run a collective 1,000 miles, for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

Coaches Mark Nicholson and Steve Smith came up with the idea to keep everyone fit during this third lockdown. Among the team’s strikers is Stuie, whose brother, Fraser, died from Coats plus syndrome, at the age of nine, in January, last year.

Mark said: “Fraser was a massive part of our team and would regularly attend matches.

"The team loved to see Fraser and he loved them. When Fraser passed everyone in the team was heartbroken. It was a terrible time for everyone and had a massive impact on all of us. The whole team attended Fraser's funeral wearing Rowdies colours and green heart shirts, to say their goodbyes.”

In May last year Stuie ran 5k around his home in Huntingdon every day, raising £17,000 which is enough to provide three days’ care and support at EACH’s hospice in Milton, where the family spent their last days with Fraser. More fundraising events have now taken place, including January, the first anniversary of Fraser’s death.

Mum Carla said: “We are all finding the start of the year very hard. It doesn't seem right going into a New Year without Fraser. It's being made even harder by the current situation we all find ourselves in.

“That said, knowing Stuie raised enough money for three days of care fills us with joy. We can’t thank everyone at EACH enough and knowing another family and child will be receiving the five-star care and support that we received as a family at a time that is any parent’s worst nightmare means so much to us.”

Rowdies has been a huge support mechanism for Stuie since Fraser’s death and the team has run a collective 162 miles four days into their challenge and already raised £699, surpassing their original £500 target.

EACH has been hit badly by the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, with the charity forecasting a £2.2 million loss in income over the next 12 months before the latest lockdown was announced. Donation to the Rowdies can be made to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rowdiesrunners1000milechallenge