Hartlepool teenager teams up with Geordie Shore star to support charity

Charity walker Kurtis Halcrow with Geordie Shore star Natalie Phillips. Picture by FRANK REID

Kurtis Halcrow, 17, who is from Hartlepool, decided to support the Amp Camp Kids after making contact with the foundation’s founder, Ben Lovell, through friend and Geordie Shore television star Natalie Phillips.

Although Kurtis and Ben, who is from Halifax, in West Yorkshire, have only spoken through video calls and have not been able to meet each other in person yet, Kurtis says Ben’s journey has left him very inspired and he wanted to help out in return.

Ben’s leg was amputated in 2017 after he suffered a blood clot.

Kurtis Halcrow hopes to walk 600,000 steps in a month.

He set up the Amp Camp, a fitness and wellbeing camp for adult amputees in Tenerife, and is now raising money to help send amputee children to the retreat, where they can enjoy fun days out and make friends with kids who have had similar experiences.

Kurtis, who lives in the Rossmere area of town, said: "No matter what battles he is facing, his main concentration is always the Amp Camp and finding ways he can help more.

"All the amputees young and old, they all inspire me and make me realise that anything is possible no matter what you are going through.”

Kurtis fits his steps in around busy shifts at a fish and chip shop on the Headland and has already managed to put in more than 300,000 steps in less than a fortnight.

He calculates that he needed to average around 20,000 steps a day to achieve his target.

Kurtis, who is also a student at Hartlepool College of Further Education, said: “It’s been going brilliant. I’ve done 300,000 steps in 13 days. I am determined to finish it.”

He hopes to raise £150 towards a wider appeal to raise £13,000 for the Amp Camp Kids.

Kurtis has thanked supporters for their contributions.

Donations can be made online by visiting PayPal and searching for 600K steps in 30 days to support the AMP CAMP KIDS! in the Pools option.

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