A seven-year-old boy from Leeds won the RAF Benevolent Fund’s Above and Beyond title at the charity’s annual awards. To date, Jacob Newson has raised more than £43,000 for the RAF Benevolent Fund.
The ceremony, held on Thursday night at Plaisterers’ Hall in London, was attended by hundreds of RAF personnel, veterans, and supporters of the RAF Benevolent Fund. Now in its ninth year, the Fund’s annual awards celebrates the outstanding contributions of the charity’s fundraisers, volunteers, and partners.
In 2019, Jacob and his dad Andy climbed Pen-y-Ghent in Yorkshire; in 2020 they walked 30 miles in two days from RAF Manston in Ramsgate to the Battle of Britain Memorial in Folkestone; and in August 2021 the pair climbed Ben Nevis. They also took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge in June, raising more than £50,000 for the hospice which cared for his mum Andrea in her last weeks.
On collecting his award, Jacob said: “I’m so proud of myself for winning this award. This was for my mummy, I just wish she could have been here to see me win”
Andy added: “After Jacob climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks earlier this year, we decided we wanted an even harder challenge, and Nevis was the obvious choice as it’s the UK’s highest mountain. Jacob was so excited when we passed the clouds and reached the summit – but the toughest part was definitely coming back down!
“We were delighted when we found out Jacob had been shortlisted for an award – it’s the perfect opportunity for Jacob to wear his RAF No.1s and it’s lovely to see his hard work is being recognised. We’re considering Mount Kilimanjaro next year, which would make Jacob the youngest boy in the UK to summit the mountain, if we can secure some corporate funding or sponsorship.”
The Above and Beyond award was sponsored by DXC Technology, with MOD Client Partner, Mike Knight presenting the award at last night’s event.
Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot, Controller of the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “After making the difficult but necessary decision to hold our annual awards ceremony virtually last year, it’s been an absolute pleasure to see so many friendly faces once again in person this year as we celebrate the efforts of our supporters and fundraisers.
“Last year was a challenging time for the whole of the RAF Family, and the awards are a great opportunity to recognise all of the fantastic work that allowed us to continue supporting RAF veterans, serving personnel and their families throughout the pandemic and beyond.
“I’d like to pass on my congratulations to all of this year’s winners, particularly Jacob for his amazing fundraising efforts. The enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity we saw over the course of 2020 was truly inspiring, so from all of us here at the Fund – thank you.”
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