Skye walk: 9-year-old’s fundraiser for Jimmy’s
A nine-year-old schoolgirl with a passion for helping the city’s homeless will walk from Cambridge to Ely to raise money for Jimmy’s.
St Matthew’s Primary School pupil Skye Sutcliffe is hoping to raise £1,000 to support the work of the charity.
“I’m really excited,” she told the Cambridge Independent. “I chose Jimmy’s because I don’t want the people living on the streets not to have anything but their clothes and a bed.”
The 18-mile walk will be a big challenge for Skye, who has been going out on trial runs to prepare.
She will be walking with her parents – Tim and Marika – who anticipate that the fundraiser will take around eight hours to complete.
Skye, who likes doing crafts including origami, added: “We’re going to play some games along the way like ‘I spy’ and I’ve also got a checklist so I can check off the things that I see. We’re going to look at the environment together and see how beautiful it is.”
The kind-hearted youngster has always had a passion for helping others, but this will be her first charity fundraiser.
Skye lives with her parents and sister Alexa, 16, in Cambridge. They describe her as very sociable and always looking out for others.
Marika said: “Skye has always been really concerned about homeless people. From a young age she’s always wanted to give to homeless people and she’s really carefully thought about it, giving gifts and things like that.
“It’s always been on her mind and then, just recently, she was saying how much she’d really like to raise some money, in her words, ‘so that people can not be homeless anymore and have a comfortable life’.
“She’s always the person that thinks about other people’s feelings.”
She continued: “She took it upon herself to set a challenge to raise £1,000. We’re really proud of her.
“It’s going to be hard, she’s not sporty at all. It’s a big challenge and it’s going to be really tricky for her.”
Community, events and fundraising officer at Jimmy’s, Barry Griffiths, said: “Here at Jimmy’s we are excited to support Skye in her walk to raise money for us.
“We are really grateful to her and her family for thinking of us and wish her good weather on the day. Good luck Skye.”
Skye’s walk will take place on Sunday, January 26. To sponsor her visit her Just Giving page.
