Hobbycraft boss leading 100-mile trek through Devon to Plymouth

Hobbycraft employees across the country will join the challenge by walking 10,000 steps in their stores

The boss of Hobbycraft is leading a team of seven trekkers who are this week embarking on a 100-mile trek to Plymouth to raise money for one of the UK’s leading children’s palliative care charities.

Hobbycraft CEO Dominic Jordan and Together for Short Lives CEO Andy Fletcher are leading a team of senior executives on the 100-mile journey from Children’s Hospice South West’s Little Bridge House in Fremington, North Devon, from Friday.

Then, over four days, they will walk the Tamara Coast to Coast Way, finishing in Cremyll on Monday, September 23. As the trek progresses toward Plymouth, Hobbycraft employees across the country will join the challenge by walking 10,000 steps in their stores.

As a collective, they aim to raise £50,000 for seriously ill children, their families, and the 54 UK children’s hospices that provide palliative care to those in need.

The funds will support families like those of William, 14, and Lewis, 13, both of whom live with Congenital Hypomyelination Neuropathy. Wheelchair-bound and in need of round-the-clock care, they have been receiving services from Children’s Hospice South West’s Little Bridge House for the past 15 years, including music therapy, sensory play, and respite breaks.

William and Lewis’s mother, Zoe, shared the profound impact Little Bridge House has had on their lives: “Little Bridge House has enriched pretty much every aspect of our lives. William and Lewis absolutely love their time there, and knowing they are so well looked after by the care team means Gareth and I can spend dedicated time with Chloe and Oliver.

“The care team is always there when we need them and it’s now more like talking to a friend than a specialist. When the time comes and the boys die, we want to go to Little Bridge House as they have been such a big part of our lives. We know everybody there and it’s such an important network of support for our whole family.”

Friday will mark the start of the team’s tenth trek, with them previously covering over 1,000 miles and raising £350,000 for Together for Short Lives.

Hobbycraft’s fundraising efforts recently surpassed the £3 million milestone in its ongoing partnership with the charity. Each of Hobbycraft’s 124 stores is twinned with a local children’s hospice, ensuring support for families across the UK.

Mr Jordan said: “It is a privilege to be able to take on a challenge of this scale for families like Lewis and William. Children’s hospices like Children’s Hospice South West are incredible places. They are lifelines for the seriously ill children and their families in the communities we serve across the country, and we are so proud to be able to support them however we can.”

Mr Fletcher added: “In all the years I have worked with and walked alongside the team at Hobbycraft, I have been constantly inspired by their new ideas and continued commitment to help[ing] children’s hospices and the families they support across the UK. Every step we take, every stride we make, and every pound we raise will help families like Lewis and Williams make the most of every moment they have together.”

To support the trekking team’s journey to Plymouth, visit https://bit.ly/Charity_Trek.

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