Bereaved Bristol men set for 11-hour charity tennis challenge

Nick said he and Paul are "like two brothers now"

Two men are set to compete in a tennis marathon that they hope will last for more than 11 hours.

Nick Rogers and Paul Maggs, from Bristol, are fundraising for the charity, Grief Encounter. They are hoping to raise £25,000 to support individuals suffering from bereavement.

When Nick's mother suddenly passed away from leukaemia when he was 13 in 1983, he turned to tennis to cope with grief.

He said: "Playing tennis was, and still is, my life support."

Mr Rogers' support system in 1983 was small and he said he "didn't really have anybody to talk to".

He found the sudden loss of a parent difficult to cope with, which caused him to "shut off" everything that happened in his childhood.

Nick said: "People have been so generous" with donations so far

'Not alone'

Mr Rogers discovered Grief Encounter at a gala dinner two years ago.

He said: "What the team at Grief Encounter do for families is so special and so important.

"They help children understand that they're not alone and give them a direction through the reoccurring blizzard of emotions that they face when they lose someone so special.

"I've seen the amazing work they do and knowing just how important this could be for a child, I really wanted to do something to help.

Nick and his tennis partner, Paul, are work colleagues and long-term friends

"We're feeling pretty nervous as it's going to be brutal," he added of the challenge, set to go ahead on 1 July.

According to Childhood Bereavement Network, it is estimated that 41,000 UK children lose a parent every year, or an average of 112 children a day.

When the hours are converted, the duration of the 11 hours and 38-minute challenge target equates to 41,000 seconds, representing all the children.

Chelsea Harding, the fundraising manager at Grief Encounter South West, said: "We are so grateful he is undertaking this innovative and mammoth challenge to help us raise vital funds.

"He knows first-hand just how important the work we do is, and his challenge will make a real difference to bereaved children, both locally, and across the UK."