Whilst most 11 year old boys are keen to switch the television on and plug in their playstations after a long day at school, Michael Tucker has set his sights on loftier goals - and his dedication has paid off. Over the past few months, he has been working hard to single-handedly organise a Swimathon, persuading 45 children to take part and raising over £5000 for Norwood, to help the charity support children and families coping with disabilities and social disadvantage.
Michael decided to organise the Swimathon, which took place on Sunday 24 June at Francis Holland School, because he wanted to do something to help other less fortunate children.
Michael said, "I’m really pleased that I got 45 children to swim and that we raised a lot of money for Norwood. I wanted to do something to help other children. My mum and dad have always been very involved with Norwood and I wanted to do something to make a difference too. I’ve really enjoyed it and want to thank all the children who swam with me and everyone who has helped us to raise the money for charity."
His parents, Alex and David Tucker gave him support and encouragement along the way, but stress that it was Michael who did all the hard work. They said, "We are so proud of him, he did it all by himself. He has been on the phone every night calling friends to take part, designing the forms and asking adults for sponsorship. He hasn’t given up and we’ve been so impressed by what he has achieved with his hard work and patience."
David Ereira, Deputy Chairman of Norwood said, "Michael is a wonderful example to his peer group of how children can help other children. We are all very proud of his achievement and grateful for his hard work."
For further information please contact David Wosner, Public Relations Officer at Norwood on 020 8420 6942 or email david.wosner@norwood.org.uk For more details on Norwood Challenges, visit www.norwood.org.uk/challenges or contact the Challenges team on 020 8420 6834 or challenges@norwood.org.uk
