Step Up for WellChild

Take part in a virtual challenge to keep active and support WellChild.

Take on one of our virtual challenges to keep fit, motivated and support seriously ill children across the UK.

Join our community of virtual runners, walkers, swimmers and cyclists on Facebook. Connect, share your routes and experiences while keeping active and challenging yourself.

Four of the seriously ill children WellChild supports have set you the task of taking part in a virtual challenge!

Sign up for just £5, raise an extra £20 through sponsorship and you will receive a fantastic medal designed by the child who set your challenge.

How it works

1. Pick the distance Noah’s 5k Run, Louie’s 21k Week of Walking, Jessie’s 52k Cycle or Oliver’s 257k Challenge.

2. Sign up for just £5 Set up your fundraising page - If you raise at least £20.00 for WellChild we’ll send you a physical medal designed by the child who set your challenge!

3. Complete your challenge Tell us how you completed your challenge, by sending a screenshot of a tracking app, some photos, or a map of the route you took.

4. Receive your virtual medal Share across your social media to show off your achievement!

Although we have set out suggested ways you can complete the challenges, its YOUR challenge. Complete them however you like and to your timeframe. You could get really creative and come up with your own way of completing the distance! Good Luck!

How do I claim my medal?

Post a screenshot from your app or fitness tracker of your completed challenge on the Step Up for
WellChild Facebook group or alternatively, email us at challenge@wellchild.org.uk

What if I don’t have a fitness tracker?

There are lots of ways for you to send us evidence of your challenge. For example, sending us some photos of you on your challenge, sending a map of the route that you took, or downloading a tracking app for your phone. If you are unsure about which phone apps to use, please get in touch.

Is there a fundraising target?

Although it is not compulsory, we encourage participants to raise £20 for WellChild. WellChild needs your support right now so we can provide vital services to vulnerable seriously ill children and their families that would not exist otherwise. By raising £20 for WellChild you could fund an hour of life changing support from a WellChild Nurse for a seriously ill child. Set up a Just Giving page visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/StepUp4WellChild

What if something, for example an injury, prevents me from undertaking my planned challenge?

You can rearrange the challenge to a time that works for you. Please contact us at challenge@wellchild.org.uk

Step Up for WellChild terms and conditions
1. By signing up to a Step Up virtual challenge participants are agreeing to these terms
and conditions
2. Sign ups are non transferable.
3. There is no lower age limit for entering the challenge, however children should be
supervised by an adult.
4. Participants agree that they are physically able to participate in the challenge they
have chosen.
5. Participants acknowledge they will participate and complete their nominated distance
at locations chosen by them and at their own risk. Participants are responsible for
undertaking a Step Up challenge safely. WellChild accepts no responsibility for any
accidents or injuries sustained whilst taking part in Step Up for WellChild.
6. After completing a Step Up challenge it is the participant’s responsibility to notify
WellChild and provide evidence of the challenge’s completion. WellChild will not
provide participants with a medal unless we are provided with evidence from the
participant, and they have raised an extra £20 for the charity after the £5 sign up fee.
Evidence we accept includes:
• A screenshot from a fitness tracking app eg. Strava, Fitbit ect
• Photos of the participant undertaking the challenge in conjunction with a map
of the route taken.
7. WellChild will only provide participants with one medal per sign up. Participants will
receive their medal by post (providing they have raised extra funds for WellChild
totalling at least £20) and must inform WellChild of any changes to address or
personal details before notifying WellChild of the challenge’s completion.
8. When submitting an image or video, participants must confirm that they have the
permission of all the people in the image/video. We are likely to use any
images/videos for social media promotion of Step Up, and will ask participants for
further permission if using the image elsewhere.
9. All data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Notice:
www.wellchild.org.uk/privacy-cookies
10. WellChild aims to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, however we
know there may be times when we may not meet our own high standards. If you wish
to make a complaint please use the contact details found here:
www.wellchild.org.uk/contact-us

Step Up challenges are solo, virtual challenges. Please do not organise Step Up challenges in groups. The current government restrictions allow individuals to exercise outside. If you are taking on one of our challenges outside of your own home, please read the government’s guidance on social distancing, which can be found here, and adhere to it at all times. Please make sure you follow government guidelines on unnecessary travel.

Noah's 5K run - one day challenge

Not everyone is ready to get back to in person challenge events. Sound like you? Take part in Noah’s virtual 5km alongside our team of virtual runners. Take on the challenge and help us continue to support seriously ill children when they need us most. Work up to 5km in one go with popular programmes such as Couch to 5km.
Noah holding the medal he designed for the step up challenge

Noah’s Story

Eleven-year-old Noah lives in Yorkshire with his mum, dad and little brother Oscar. Like many seriously ill children across the UK, Noah’s journey has not been easy.

Noah was born with interstitial lung disease and spent the first nine months of his life in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.  Noah has a tracheostomy to keep his airway open, and a ventilator to help him breathe at night. Whilst in hospital, Noah’s parents met WellChild Nurses Elaine & Katie, who helped transition Noah home, providing emotional and practical support to Noah’s parents along the way.

At home, Noah requires round-the-clock care and makes a 5km journey each month to the hospital pharmacy for lifesaving medicine. For his parents, this is a small journey to make to have their son at home.

Louie's 21K week of walking

Perfect for dog owners, Louie’s 21km Week of Walking gets you outside, walking 3km once a day for a week. Continue your lockdown walking habits, get some fresh air at lunchtime while at the office, or bring along your dog as the perfect walking companion whilst you support seriously ill children around the UK.
Louie holding the Step Up medal he designed

Louie’s Story

15-year-old Louie has cri-du-chat syndrome, a condition causing developmental delay, low muscle tone and microcephaly.

Louie lives in Cornwall, surrounded by beaches. However, despite the holistic benefits of living in such a beautiful location, it comes with challenges. Louie attends a special educational needs school, which is over 21km away and the local council is unable to provide transport. The school run for Louie’s mum is more difficult than most. The morning routine can be challenging with three other children to also get to school. Any delays cause Louie to become very distressed, and it can take him a couple of hours to calm down.

For mum Laura, these journeys are totally worth it, “the school is perfect for Louie’s needs.” He loves ‘studio time’, with its sensory lighting and sounds. Plus, his school will accommodate him until he is 19, which is great for Louie as he struggles with change. We want to make sure there is as much support for parents like Laura as possible. Will you help by rising to Louie’s challenge?

Jessie's 52K cycle

Complete a 52km bike ride for WellChild by taking part in Jessie’s 52km cycle challenge. Cycle in the comfort of your own home on a static bike, or take in the views of the surrounding area.
Jessie holding the Step Up medal she designed

Jessie’s Story

16-year-old Jess has Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Chiari malformation and chromosome abnormality, which causes delayed development, limited mobility and chronic pain. Despite this, her mum, Alison tells us she’s the happiest person alive!

Every fortnight, Jess and her mum make the 52km journey to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for Jess’ care. Recently, Jess was an inpatient for six months as her bowel was perforated. This had a huge impact on family life. With two children back at home, Jess’ Mum had to travel 52km back and forth every day. Mum Alison would even drive home some nights at 11pm, when the nurses came to care for Jess, just to cuddle her other children, even though she was back in hospital the following morning before they woke up.

“If it were only Jess, I’d have stayed in hospital with her, but with two children back at home it meant travelling 52km each day to say goodnight to Joe and Liv too.”

Oliver's 257K Challenge

The ultimate challenge: 257km, wherever you can, however you can. Take on Oliver’s Challenge to travel 257km and you will be helping WellChild reach more seriously ill children and their families. You could cycle the distance over the course of a week, run it over the summer months or get creative and come up with your own way of completing the distance.
Oliver holding the Step Up medal he designed

Oliver’s Story

Ten-year-old Oliver has alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), an ultra-rare condition affecting less than one in a million people. It causes episodes of weakness in every muscle in Oliver’s body, from arms and legs to his breathing, and can last anywhere from a couple of hours to several days. Some episodes he never fully recovers from.

Oliver’s condition means that on a regular basis they have to travel the 257km roundtrip from Southampton to see the only specialist for his condition in the country at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. This is a huge journey for a ten-year-old and since the launch of his challenge this has more of an impact now than ever before as he is much more fatigable now.

Oliver has to miss a day of school to attend his appointments and has to take the following day off to recover from the journey. This has a big impact on the whole family. His dad cannot make every trip as he must take leave from work to do so, and childcare arrangements need to be made for his younger sister Alisia. As Oliver is getting older, he now requires two people to help him transfer out of his chair, meaning his dad has to take more time off work to help Oliver’s mum.

Making the trip multiple times a year is expensive and often impractical, but absolutely necessary.

We want to raise awareness of the distances young children like Oliver must travel for their care and the impact this has on their families. Are you daring enough to take part in WellChild’s biggest virtual challenge?