The Hartlepool boy who is smashing a fundraising challenge by walking 100 miles in August

Big-hearted Hartlepool youngster Lewin Tubuna is going great guns in his bid to raise money for charity before he reaches his 12th birthday.

The caring 11-year-old has become well known for tackling big projects each time a birthday approaches.

In 2016, he raised £1,800 for Miles for Men by doing a 10-mile sponsored bike ride on his eighth birthday.

He went even further two years later on his 10th birthday when Lewin raised more than double his initial target of £2,500 when he rode from Whitehaven in Cumbria back to Hartlepool on behalf of Alice House Hospice,

Lewin takes a break for a photo on the Headland.

The effort saw him win the Child of Achievement Trophy at the 2018 Best of Hartlepool Awards.

Now, as he approaches his 12th birthday, Lewin is on target to complete his 2020 challenge of walking 100 miles in August.

He hopes to raise £3,000 for Alice House Hospice and proud mum Lynsey said: “He has raised around £1,600 up to now, but the donations keep trickling in which is good. Every little helps.”

Lewin only has around 30 miles to go in his challenge which has attracted lots of interest.

Lewin with fellow Hartlepool champion fundraiser Lee Dodgson who Lewin describes as his inspiration for helping charity causes.

Lynsey added: “Friends and family have being getting involved and coming out walking with us, which is nice for him to have the support.”

Lewin originally planned to do the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge – climbing the peaks of Pen-y-ghent (694m), Whernside (736m) and Ingleborough (723m) – in under 12 hours.

But the coronavirus restrictions meant he had to put that idea on hold. Lewin, though, came up with an alternative challenge closer to home.

Anyone wanting to support him by making a donation should visit here.

Amazingly, this is not the only fundraiser that Lewin has done this month.

Lynsey added: “Lewin took part in a 40 mile charity bike ride last Saturday with the senior squad from Hartlepool Old Boys Rugby Club where they cycled from Hartlepool Old Boys Rugby club to Durham Rugby Club and back.”

The ride helped to raise money for both Alice House Hospice and Acorn Emotional Wellbeing which is an independent counselling service.

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