Banburyshire school boy launches fundraising challenge in memory of his father

Ten-year-old Charlie Holland has launched two Just Giving web pages with the help of his mother, Liz, as part of a fundraising challenge.

Liz and Charlie Holland have started training together to run a 5k later this year in memory of Jason Holland, Liz's husband and Charlie's father.

Charlie started to raise money for their challenges on his own by selling his books, but his donation tin and toys were stolen.

He didn't give up though, and wrote the following words for the Just Giving page set up to raise money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance Service.

He said: "My daddy, Jason, passed away on 19th March this year. He was the best dad in the world, and mummy and I miss him so very much. He was my hero.

"The evening my mummy called the ambulance for daddy some amazing people helped him.

"They were from Thames Valley Air Ambulance. They rely on charitable donations and I know it is very expensive to run the service because my mummy works for the NHS too. Every time their helicopter is sent to help someone it costs about £3,000.

"Because the doctors and paramedics worked so hard to help daddy, he was able to open his eyes and hear mummy and me tell him how much we loved him, and he was able to pout his lips to kiss my mummy before he died.

"I have been fundraising by giving my books and toys away in exchange for a donation. So far I have raised £50.00. I would love to raise more money and so I have managed to persuade my Mummy to train with me so we can run 5K together later this year.

"I have set up this fundraising page to ask if you would kindly sponsor me and my mum so we can raise as much money as possible for Thames Valley Air Ambulance so they can continue to help others in the way they helped my daddy."

People can make a contribution to Charlie's fundraising campaign for the TVAA using the following web address: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/charlie-liz-5kLiz also started her own Just Giving page to raise money for a 'healing garden' for Charlie, at their Bodicote home.

People can donate to the 'healing garden' campaign for Charlie using the following web address: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/healing-garden4-charlieShe said: "On March 19th my husband of 20 years, my soulmate Jason, died suddenly of multi organ failure(unrelated to COVID-19). He was only 44.

"He leaves behind our beautiful son, Charlie, who is 10. Charlie and Jason were like two peas in a pod, both kind and always thinking of others.

"They share a love of nature and wildlife and Charlie has magical memories of rolling down grassy hills, building dens, skimming stones, rock pooling, star gazing and hunting for fossils with his Dad.

"We recently moved house and Jason’s next project was to transform our back garden. With Charlie in mind he had planned a pond, worm farm, vegetable patch and of course a den.

"A couple of days after Jason died Charlie asked if we could still create the garden in memory of Jason and plant a tree and bench where he could sit and talk to his Dad and remember the happy times we had.

"I am not going to be able to fund or create the garden without Jason, so I am asking for donations in memory of Jason so I can create a healing garden space for Charlie.

"I cannot take away his pain, but I can try to raise funds for TVAA and also for a healing memorial garden for Charlie."