Local 50 year old Sutton man walks 50 miles from Nottingham to Sutton to raise money for the charity who gave him his life back.
Gez Nicholson who was almost made homeless 30 years ago, now works for YMCA Sutton Coldfield and has set himself the challenge of raising £5,000 for the local charity in the run up to his 50th Birthday next March. The 50 mile walk which will start at YMCA Nottingham and end at YMCA Sutton Coldfield will see Gez walking solidly for 2 days in homage to two YMCAs that helped him get back on his feet.
The fundraising walk takes place on the 5th December and is the first of many challenges Gez is undertaking over the next 6 months in an attempt to raise an ambitious £5k for the YMCA.
From being sponsored to help out at local Hotel Moor Hall to sleeping out at the annual YMCA Sleep Easy event in March, Gez is on a mission to make as much money as possible for the local Sutton charity. He’s even looking to face his fear of heights with an abseiling challenge.
Gez tells us why the YMCA means so much to him: “When I was 20, I lost my job and my father threw me out of the family home with nowhere to go. If it wasn’t for the YMCA, I would not be here today. Over the years, the YMCA in Lincoln, Nottingham and latterly in Sutton Coldfield, gave me not only a home, but a purpose in life. Most of all they gave me the support and confidence I needed to make something of myself and be part of something.
The YMCA Sutton Coldfield is a real community charity and helps so many young people from young carers to families with disabled children and young people from deprived areas. I’m so very grateful to the YMCA for giving me my life back, now it’s my turn to give something back so they can help other people in need.”
As well as looking for an abseiling challenge to conquer his fear of heights, Gez is also appealing to local residents and businesses for any general maintenance or handyman jobs he could do in return for a donation to his cause. If you’d like to get involved, please contact us on 0121 354 5614.
Read Gez’s full story or to sponsor him and raise money for YMCA Sutton Coldfield, please visit his Virgin Money Giving fundraising page.
