News

A thrill-seeking grandfather is taking on the challenge of driving high performance cars at 'breakneck speeds' to raise money for a children’s hospice he has supported for over three decades.

Pete Ridler is preparing to buckle up for his 'Fast Car Challenge', getting behind the wheel of a series of high performing motors at Thruxton Race Circuit in June to raise money for Children's Hospice South West (CHSW).

Pete’s son Shawn threw down the gauntlet and set his dad, 77, the challenge which will see him drive a Porche Sports Saloon, a V8 Ford Mustang and a single seat racing car.

The challenge

It started as a small Christmas lights display at the home of Bridgwater couple Gill Brown and Stu Thorne.

But what began as a festive treat for family and friends was the catalyst for the formation of a dedicated group of volunteers all wanting to raise money for a good cause.

And whereas the Bridgwater Friends Group of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) may have started from humble beginnings, over the last 18 years the band of determined volunteers has raised more than £406,000 for the charity.

Gill, who founded the group and turns 80 this year, has always been a keen fundraiser.

During a

A retired lecturer who found himself with time on his hands has kept himself busy building birdboxes – and they are ‘flying’ off the shelves.

Steve Kerner, 80, from Cromhall, South Gloucestershire, started his hobby building bird boxes in the workshop at his home 18 months ago, with all the proceeds going to Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Steve sells the birdboxes at craft fairs as well as his village community shop and they are now also stocked at the CHSW shop in Yate.

So far Steve’s handiwork has raised an incredible £2000 for CHSW.

“I’ve always enjoyed watching birds in the garden,”

Receptionist Nikky Mungeam is to swap headphones for trainers when she takes on the Bristol 10k to raise money for the charity she works for.

Nikky, who works in the office at Children’s Hospice South West’s (CHSW) Charlton Farm in Wraxall, has always had an interest in running, completing the Bristol 10k on two previous occasions.

Now Nikky, from Sea Mills, will make it a hat trick of 10k’s when she takes to the streets of Bristol for the third time on 19 May.

Nikky, 57, used to run to keep fit but stopped several years ago.

“I haven’t run for a few years and decided I wanted to get back

Two work colleagues are to run the Bristol Half Marathon dressed in full PPE to raise money for the charity their business has adopted as its cause of the year.

Jake Humphries and Chris Rodgers, both who work for high voltage electrical contracting business Ethical Power, are to take on the Bristol Half Marathon on 19 May to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW)

The firm has adopted the organisation as its charity of the year and has already held a number of events including a spin-a-thon and a bake sale across its three sites.

The company, which designs and constructs new grid

Staff from Bristol City Football Club are to climb up a Welsh mountain to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Head coach Liam Manning and members of his backroom staff will be taking part in the ‘10 y Fan’ challenge which sees participants climb Pen Y Fan up to 10 times in 24 hours.

Pen Y Fan stands at 2,907 ft and is the highest peak in South Wales and at 6pm on Saturday 11 May, 10 City staff members will start the challenge which finishes 24 hours later.

All proceeds from the sponsored challenge will go to CHSW’s Charlton Farm children’s hospice, which provides the

A daredevil grandad and granddaughter are to undertake the challenge of a lifetime together – jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet.

Sixteen-year-old Freya Capsey and her 77 year-old grandad Graham Smith are to skydive from Dunkeswell Airfield near Honiton on April 20 to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

The pair, both adrenaline junkies, decided on the joint challenge after Freya, whose nickname for her grandad is Gadge, joined CHSW’s Young Ambassador Scheme at Haysfield School in Bath.

The pair have already raised £1,225, smashing their original target of £800 and now

A group of friends nicknamed Bristol’s very own ‘Famous Five’ are off on an adventure along the coast – to raise money for Children's Hospice South West.

Claire Lawes, Beverley Wallace, Angela Norman, Julie Leyshon and Julie Burley are packing their rucksacks ready for their ‘5 ladies, 5 days and 50 miles’ challenge.

Their adventure will see the self-confessed ‘ladies of a certain age’ walk from Wembury near Plymouth to Dartmouth over 5 days beginning on May 7.

The friends, all who live in Bristol, have set themselves a target of raising £2,500 for Children’s Hospice South West.

Claire

44 year old Steve Heller from Camborne has run a series of marathons for Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Steve’s running journey began 15 years ago after quitting alcohol, and since 2018 he has run various marathons and ultra-marathons for the charity, starting with the Eden Project marathon in 2018.

Steve has run 5 ultra-marathons, and also set himself personal challenges. He even ran 50km where he broke his wrist, and ran the last 8km with it tucked into his vest.

Steve said: “I’ve enjoyed the challenges, and everyone has been very generous and supportive, even local business have

A ‘proud son’ is to run the world-famous London Marathon for Children’s Hospice South West – after being inspired by the work his mum does for the charity.

Tobias Maltman, 27, is to join thousands of other runners as they pound the streets of the capital on April 21.

Chartered surveyor Tobias started running during the covid pandemic and his 26-mile challenge around London will be his first ever marathon.

He was inspired to run for CHSW as his mum Julie works as a nurse at its Charlton Farm Hospice in Wraxall.

“I have dropped mum off at work on occasions and have also visited the hospice,”