Matthew Cotterill, Christie fundraiser

Matthew wanted to really push himself out of his comfort zone with his fundraising for The Christie charity. So when he read about The Christie Challenge to complete 6 activities in 12 months, he jumped at the opportunity to try something different.

The Christie Challenge helps provide The Christie charity with vital support at a time when our usual income has fallen by 25% due to COVID-19 restrictions. Matthew was inspired to take part after singer Sarah Harding’s breast cancer diagnosis as he is a huge Girls Aloud fan.

So far, Matthew has taken on a paranormal investigation and a 24-hour wild camping challenge. And on 19 June, he will be taking on his final challenge, the Skydive for The Christie. Matthew says that this is his ‘ultimate fear’ and will actually be the first time he’s ever been on a plane!

“I’ve always wanted to fundraise for a cancer charity and since the pandemic, I personally felt like charities have been overlooked. I am a huge Girls Aloud fan, so when I heard of the devastating news of Sarah Harding’s diagnosis, I knew that this was the best time to help and raise awareness for everyone affected by cancer.
“I have heard such wonderful things about The Christie which is why I chose to take part in The Christie Challenge and conquer my fears by taking on 6 challenges. So far, I have completed my first 2 challenges – I carried out a paranormal investigation and I also went camping for 24 hours in the wild. Both challenges came with great difficulties but that’s what I wanted, I wanted them to be challenging and not something I could complete with ease.
“I’m really looking forward to my next challenges – I will be hosting an online quiz, online karaoke, holding a tarantula and the biggest one will be taking part in a skydive! Not only am I raising money for a fantastic cause, I am pushing myself to my limits, overcoming fears, and having fun all at the same time. This has been a real journey for me.”

The Christie Challenge is to complete 6 different fundraising activities over the year. Whether you want to do a sponsored run, organise a bake sale or host an online quiz night, you can get involved.

If you want to help The Christie charity keep moving in 2021, sign up for The Christie Challenge.