Doing Good, Being Better

Fundraising and Supporting Charity

In June this year, I will mark 17 years since I started actively fundraising for charity.

17 years since I turned the first pedal from Worcester, to cycle 120 miles to Liverpool, where my triplet daughters were born severely prematurely at only 24 weeks. The charity challenge saw me cycle back from Liverpool to Kidderminster and then run the final 17 miles back to Worcester.

It raised ￡4,000 for Bliss and ignited a passion for physical challenges and raising funds for a number of important charities - Scope Make-A-Wish? UK Acorns Children's Hospice & The Bike Project

In those 17 years I have raised over ￡50,000, been selected to carry the Queen's Baton for the Commonwealth Games when it passed through Worcester, was a finalist at the JustGiving Awards in 2023 and been interviewed on BBC Hereford and Worcester and in the Worcester News many times.

The challenges have seen me cycle from John O'Groats to Lands End (top to bottom) and Aberystwyth to Lowestoft (West to East coast to coast), run the London Marathon, climb Kilimanjaro, trek to Everest, walk the length of the Worcester - Birmingham canal in a day, cycle 100 miles and walk a marathon on the same day, walk 52 miles across the Cotswold Hills solo, play guitar for 12 hours, walk the length of the Malvern Hills end to end and back in a day and write and publish successful poetry and cookbooks (amongst many other challenges)

June will also be my last big physical challenge for charity. Raising funds for Acorns Children's Hospice, I will climb Scafell Pike (the highest mountain in England), cycle 200 miles to and then climb Snowdon (the highest mountain in Wales).

At 56, the word retirement doesn't sit easily. I will continue to support other fundraisers and charities, but the body is in need of a rest (3 knee operations are testament to that).

My inspiration has always been to help charities so they can support families like mine.

We were blessed to have triplets after a successful course of IVF. My wife Rini and I didn't know if we would be lucky to have children. However, the early premature birth of our daughters in Liverpool Women's Hospital was extremely traumatic. Jewel survived only 17 days. Milla and Louisa were lucky to survive and stayed in the neonatal unit for 5 months, with many setbacks and operations, before 3 more weeks back in Worcestershire Royal Hospital. As a result, Milla was severely disabled due to cerebral palsy. She was in a wheelchair, unable to walk or talk and fed through a stomach tube. Louisa has autism and is blind in one eye and visually impaired in her other, plus has global developmental delay.

Sadly, Milla passed away in 2016. It was sudden and unexpected, and broke us. But Milla's example, smiling every day, despite discomfort, pain, illness and operations gave me the resolve to carry on fundraising.

To 'DO GOOD and BE BETTER'.

I wanted to ensure other families received the care and support we did.

That's why my final challenge is for Acorns. The hospice was a sanctuary. A place of happiness, laughter, hope, kindness, friendship and calm. A place Milla received wonderful respite stays and we always received a warm welcome - and still do.

After 17 years of fundraising, it is time for the Last Hurrah! I am going to get up and down those two big lumps of rock and enjoy every step as I trudge towards the summit of Scafell Pike and Snowdon. And yes, 200 miles through the Lake District and on to Snowdonia on a bike (at my age?!) will be a challenge, but again, I will approach it with a positive mindset and an excitement to do this. Knowing also I have so much support from family, friends and other organisations.

In the hard moments, I will think of Milla and her sister Jewel, who we never got to know. I will think of Louisa and all she has had to contend with in life. Their inspiration will be my motivation.

I am also determined to be as physically and mentally fit as possible. The incredible support from the University of Worcester School of Sport and Exercise Science is helping me be as prepared as I can.

My goal remains to do good and be better. If we can't help those less fortunate than ourselves, what is the point in humanity? There are always children, adults, families, who need a helping hand. There are so many charities that do such wonderful work to support them.

We should all do our bit if we can. I hope the last 17 years have shown I have wanted to effect change in a positive way.

If you would like to donate, I am trying to raise ￡2,063 - the combined height of Scafell Pike and Snowdon in metres is 2,063m.

The link is Two Peaks Two Pedals

Thank you for all your support and kind words.

Tony Frobisher

Parent Carer Champion, Acorns Children's Hospice

#charity #fundraising #cycling #walking