“It’s extremely tough times for charities at the moment with drops in donations and having to cancel annual fundraising events. I wanted to do something to help the two charities that I’m an ambassador for, The Sick Children’s Trust and BlueSky Autism, and raise lots of money for them so I turned to my lovely social media followers.
“As a father myself, I can’t imagine not being there for my children if they were to ever be so poorly that they’d end up in hospital. The thought is unbearable, especially at a time like now. There is so much worry and uncertainty, but for families with seriously ill children in hospital there must be even more worry. The Sick Children’s Trust is still working so hard at keeping families together despite these unprecedented times and along with BlueSky Autism really need all the support it can get.
“I have been absolutely blown away by the support from all my followers. Considering that these times are hard, everyone is trying to save money and there are so many charities to support we have totally surpassed the fundraising target and raised over £4,000 which will be split between The Sick Children’s Trust and BlueSky Autism. The generosity and spirit out there is extraordinary and I can’t thank everyone enough.” Tim Downie, Actor, Comedian and Writer. Ambassador for The Sick Children’s Trust and BlueSky Autism Project
This last month has been a worrying and uncertain time for everyone. For us at The Sick Children’s Trust we have been working hard to ensure that families can still remain together with their sick children in hospital, despite facing the loss of a significant amount of income due to supporter events not taking place.
However, we have been overwhelmed at the generous support from individuals up and down the country who have been digging deep to donate what they can to give a family a place to stay in one of our ‘Homes from Home’. We recently saw a huge spike in donations with thanks to our friend, Tim Downie.
Since 2013, Tim has been a dedicated supporter of The Sick Children’s Trust and has taken part in annual events which raise thousands of pounds. Tim who is a writer, comedian and actor known for his roles in Outlander, Upstart Crow and as the voice of Montgomery Clyde in children’s favourite Paddington Bear decided that while in isolation he was going to do something that would make the world of difference to the families we support. He recorded a special message to his fans raffling off two personalised poems, asking people to enter just £1 to be in with a chance of winning to raise money for both The Sick Children’s Trust and BlueSky Autism Project. Donations from across the globe and messages of support came pouring in, raising a spectacular £4,403, of which £2201.50 will be donated to us.
At a time when everything is uncertain, this show of support is heartwarming and we couldn’t be more grateful to Tim and his amazing fans. We’d like to say a huge thank you.
Visit Tim’s fundraising page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?pageId=1156413
Follow Tim on Twitter @TimDownie1 and on Instagram @TimDownie1
