Hartlepool's carers staging 25-hour online exercise challenge for caravan campaign backed by £114m Euromillions winner

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The carer community will join together to raise awareness and money to boost a campaign spearheaded by Euromillions lottery winner Frances Connolly.

Frances and her husband Patrick, who lived in Hartlepool for 25 years before winning nearly £115 million in 2019, formed the PFC Trust and makes donations, grants and scholarships to benefit the people of the town.

The trust’s UchangeLives25 (UC25) campaign is trying to raise £50,000 by April 2 to provide a respite caravan for young carers with Hartlepool Carers and Stockton-based Eastern Ravens.

Chief Executive Officer of Hartlepool Carers Christine Fewster with support worker Roxanne Boagey and young carers Jersey McCabe and Catlin Surtees.

The number 25 highlights how many hours a week a young carer does unpaid.

This weekend, from 9am on Saturday, February 27 until 10am on Sunday, February 28, Hartlepool Carers and its supporters will attempt a 25-hour relay exercise challenge.

Everyone taking part will do a different activity which will be highlighted throughout on social media.

Hartlepool Carers chief executive Christine Fewster said: “At the moment we have 20 sponsors paying £25 per hour.

PFC Trust members. Back row, left to right, Shaun Hope, Sally Dunne and Dianna Russell. Front row, left to right, Fiona Connolly, Frances Connolly and Paul Hewitson. Picture taken before current social distancing guidelines.

“I am doing the hula hoop challenge at 3am, which should be fun, and I will be updating on Facebook Live regularly."

Mrs Fewster, who is a carer for her own two boys, James and Harry, aged 13 and nine, will also be doing a midnight stroll and cycling to Abba’s Greatest Hits.

Others will do a fancy dress run, dance party, family dog walk and sitting exercises, to name a few.

Those all lead to a grand finale socially distanced ‘cheesy disco’ on social media.

Hartlepool Carers works with 600 young carers in the Hartlepool area aged 5-18.

Mrs Connolly said: “For a group of people who are doing 90 hours unpaid work, to find the time to help us raise this money, it shows you how important this project is.

“The 25 hours of non-stop activities, divided into hour slots and shared across their community, is fantastic and for them to be helping UC25 is just amazing.”

There are still a few slots available for businesses to sponsor.

Donations can be made at justgiving.com/pfctrust or text UC25PFC 3 to 70085. You can donate any amount by changing the number 3.

Relates story: Former Hartlepool couple have given away more than half of their £114m lottery winnings

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