Over the 12 years since Anna died, we have been joined in our fundraising efforts by so many people. Collectively we have climbed mountains, swum through rivers, shaved heads and much, much more! Below are some of our highlights.....
Anna's Aunties' Walk,
2022
On Saturday 2nd April 2022, 10 years after Anna died. mum Jess and 5 of her university friends - 'Anna's Aunties' - walked 24 miles from Anna's resting place in Kent to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
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The walk was filmed for an episode of BBC 'Songs of Praise' which was broadcast on 15th May 2022. Jess and her friends were accompanied on the walk by a BBC crew and presenter JB Gill.
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You can watch the episode here.
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Anna's Aunties' Walk raised over £6000!
Royal Parks Half Marathon, London, 2016
In 2014, Anna's Mum Jess decided to challenge herself by running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London. Jess was a total non-runner so this was a big challenge!
In 2015, Anna's Dad David completed the same half marathon, he also being a novice runner.
In 2016 David and Jess had the idea to recruit 100 runners to join them at this event and 'Team Anna 100' was born. On the day, 108 people ran as part of the team and a whopping £70,000 was raised!
It was a day that David and Jess will never forget, and they are so grateful to everyone who took part!
You can read an article from the Evening Standard here.
Race for the Kids 2016
Race for the Kids is an annual event organised by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. It is a 5km route for the whole family (dogs included!) and in 2016 the venue was the Olympic Park in London. We were joined by 8 other families, the atmosphere was incredible and together we raised £1800!
Anna's Butterfly Ball, Leeds Castle, 2016
In November 2016, we held our second black tie ball in Anna's memory. Anna's Butterfly Ball took place in the opulent setting of Leeds Castle, in Kent.
The night included a three-course meal, silent auction, disco, and was finished off in style with a spectacular fireworks display over the castle. The ball raised £8,500 for Anna's Fund!
Anna's Black Tie and Sparkle Ball, 2015
In 2015, we held our first black tie ball in Anna's memory at the Brands Hatch Place Hotel in Kent. We held a live auction on the night and the evening raised an incredible £10,000 for Anna's Fund!
The Chevening Pilgrims' Walks
The Chevening Pilgrims are a group of men from our village who undertake a sponsored walk every year for a good cause. They meet every Saturday for training walks and over the years have raised thousands of pounds for charity.
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Since 2013, the Chevening Pilgrims have raised over £65,000 for The Anna Lewis Brighter Future Fund taking on the following challenges as well as some smaller events:
The Three Peaks in 2013
Hadrian's Wall in 2015
Norfolk Coastal Path in 2019
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Our fantastic local pub, The Bricklayers Arms in Chipstead, has served as the Pilgrims' HQ and kept them well-fuelled for their training walks. We are very grateful to Landlord Andy Hogg for his incredible support!
Swim the Channel for Anna
In 2014, we held a swimathon in a local school pool, with the aim of collectively swimming the distance of the English Channel! We were joined by local families, and adults and children alike joined the challenge. In total, we swam a distance of 36.6 miles and raised over £4000!
'Art for Anna', 2012
Later in the year that Anna died, her extended family organised 'Art for Anna', an exhibition and auction of celebrity doodles and drawings at an art gallery in London.
They approached as many people as possible and contributions were received from Darcey Bussell, Joanna Lumley, Boris Johnson (then Mayor of London), Sarah, Duchess of York and illustrator Axel Scheffler.
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The evening was a huge success and raised £14,500 for Anna's Fund!
