Eight-year-old Bassetlaw boy raises over £2,000 for Bassetlaw Hospital with 69-mile run

Manchester City-mad Harrison Tatt set the challenge as a nod to the distance from his Tuxford home to his favourite team’s beloved Etihad Stadium.

Harrison, climbing the walls at home while unable to attend football training, started the endurance feat in honour of a neighbour who works at the hospital’s assessment and treatment centre.

He had originally planned to buy workers on the ward some edible treats, however within 24 hours he and mum Charlotte Hannah had raised over £500 - spurring them on to do more.

Having hit the £1,000 mark by the end of the first week the pair decided to invest in some new TVs and radios for the ward - then extended their charity work to the children’s ward.

With the total raised now at over £2,000 Harrison and Charlotte are splitting the money between the two wards - buying sensory toys and a model railway for poorly children.

Proud mum Charlotte told how the fundraiser had now become “bigger than we ever expected”.

She said: “It took a while for Harrison to realise just what he’s achieved but now teachers have started telling other classes about him at school it’s sunk in.

“All the money has come from me posting the appeal on Facebook - people are just so impressed with how far he’s going. It’s quite a big challenge and people love that.”

Mum-of-two Charlotte described how Dunham-on-Trent C of E Primary School pupil Harrison put his miles in over five days a week before homeschooling in the mornings, averaging two miles a day.

She said: “With football stopped during lockdown he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“I’m so proud of him - I think what he’s done is amazing.

“We’ve not had to push him at all - even though there were days when he did five-six miles and he would say ‘my legs are starting to hurt now’”.

To help Harrison raise more cash for Bassetlaw Hospital’s ATC and children’s wards you can find his fundraising page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/Bassetlaw-hospital.

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