Fundraisers turn hobbies into £100k

Oarsome Foursome raised £1,000 for YMCA Exeter

Eight local fundraisers who embraced their own hobbies to raise nearly £100,000 for local organisations are finalists in BBC Radio Devon's Make A Difference Awards.

Kayaking the Exe, climbing Everest, swimming in the North and South Poles and baking have raised thousands of pounds for charities across the county.

Jamie Lake climbed Everest to support others living with Huntingdon's Disease, while Adam Baker and Charlie Fleury swam in the North and South Poles for a local hospice.

The Oarsome Foursome kayaked the River Exe for YMCA Exeter, and Jade Allen baked cake after cake to raise money for her sister's medical treatment.

Jamie Lake has been raising money to support others with Huntingdon's disease after being diagnosed over 20 years ago

Jamie Lake lives with Huntingdon's Disease and has been raising money to support others since he was diagnosed over 20 years ago.

"It's a terminal illness that runs through the family," said Mr Lake.

"It's kind of dementia, Parkinson's and motor neurone all in one – and at the moment there's no cure for this illness."

Last year, he was part of the first team, all living with the disease, to climb Everest.

"We all struggled, but we went over there to make a difference – raise some awareness and raise some cash," he said.

The climb raised £17,000 and will help local people living with Huntingdon's.

Doctors Adam Baker and Charlie Fleury also went to extreme lengths – and environments – to raise money for their chosen causes.

They swam in both the Arctic and Antarctic as part of the Archipelago Yachts Polar Swim Challenge.

"For us, it was really important to push ourselves as mentally and physically as we could, just to see where those boundaries were," said Mr Baker.

The challenge saw them swimming in temperatures below freezing. Charlie's swim was -1.76 degrees – the coldest ever official international ice swim.

"It's the fragility of life, both Adam I see that every single day," said emergency doctor Ms Fleury.

"You've just got to take those moments to do crazy extreme, wonderful things to really live."

The 1km (0.62 miles) swims in both polar regions helped to raise just over £17,000 for the Ocean Conservation Trust and for the Western Hospice Care, where Mr Baker works.

Adam Baker (right) and Charlie Fleury swam in both the Arctic and Antarctic as part of the Archipelago Yachts Polar Swim Challenge

Her sister's medical needs inspired Jade Allen to fundraise £63,000 in treatment costs, through cake sales, car boot sales, raffles and quizzes.

"When my sister found out she had a rare brain tumour, it wasn't possible to get the treatment through the NHS, so we had to raise the money," she said.

"I've always said it was a crazy amount of money, but I'm going to raise it. And I did.

"I feel slightly selfish I was raising money just for my sister, but I did it out of pure love."

Jade Allen raised £63,000 to cover the cost of her sister's treatment

The Oarsome Foursome kayaked their way to raising £1,000 for YMCA Exeter. All four kayakers – Eleni, Amelie, Jubilee and Phoebe - are nine years old.

"We help homeless people get back on their feet," said the team.

"We feel very proud to see a person we helped get a new home."