Fundraisers hit £400,000 milestone after month of charity challenges
The Veronica Claxton Memorial Fund, founded by Luke Claxton, hit the £400,000 milestone in July. - Credit: Luke Claxton
A local group run by a father-of-two in memory of his mum have taken their total fundraising past the £400,000 mark.
The Veronica Claxton Memorial Fund, founded by Luke Claxton, hit the milestone in July after an epic cycling fundraiser across the UK.
The Veronica Claxton Memorial Fund, founded by Luke Claxton, hit the £400,000 milestone in July. - Credit: Luke Claxton
More than £22,000 was raised during the month as a group of 14 men and their four-man support crew cycled over 500 miles in five days.
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It started in North Wales before they made their way up through the Lake District to Scotland, then heading across the Pennines and through England for their finish line at the King of the Belgians pub in Hartford - managing to raise £15,000.
Just a few weeks after the bike ride, 108 players got together at Lakeside Lodge for the 13th annual VCMF Golf Day where another £6370 was raised.
Other events that took place across the month included half marathons in London, where the group managed to boost their fundraising total for Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent) by over £22,000.
The fund has now contributed over £300,000 to Young Lives with Cancer in the last seven years.
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Luke Claxton, from Hartford, set up The Veronica Claxton Memorial Fund in 2009, after losing his mum to cancer in 2008.
Luke said: “July really did exceed all expectations yet again, from travel restrictions limiting our plans to head overseas on the bikes; we managed to cobble together a UK ride at short notice and had a real tough but great week.
“We raised £15,000 and it was just amazing, I can’t thank all the lads and the support crew enough for the time they give up to support these challenges year-on-year. And to follow it up with another fantastic golf day was brilliant.
“Ninety-five per cent of our fundraising nowadays is for this wonderful charity, [Young Lives vs Cancer] who do such amazing work, so to be able to provide crucial assistance to children and their families going through cancer battles at a real uncertain time is heartwarming."
Next up for Luke in October is London marathon number six with friend Mark Cade before their annual Addenbrookes Christmas present drop in December.
To view their fundraising for Young Lives vs Cancer visit: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/target250k
