An eight-year-old entrepreneur who organised a community food festival has been recognised at the Franklins Solicitors £50 Challenge Awards after helping raise £910 for charity.
Woo, founder of Woo Reviews, received the Young Entrepreneur Award after using an initial £50 investment from Franklins Solicitors to organise Woo Fest, a street food festival that attracted more than 500 visitors.
The award formed part of this year’s Franklins Solicitors £50 Challenge, which saw 56 teams across Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire turn a £50 investment into fundraising initiatives that generated a combined £50,243 for 12 local charities.
Woo said: “I feel really happy to have won Young Entrepreneur. I used the £50 to print out my posters to promote Woo Fest. I enjoyed getting involved in the challenge because I know the money will go to do something useful and help people.”
The overall fundraising award went to Footsteps Travel UK Ltd, which raised £4,518 for its chosen charity.
Andrea Fountain, from Footsteps Travel UK Ltd, said: “To win the Highest Fundraiser is absolutely fantastic. We’ve had great fun, raised an amazing amount of money and been overwhelmed by the support from our clients and the wider community. It’s been wonderful to bring people together for such a worthwhile cause.”
The awards were presented by businessman and broadcaster Nick Hewer, best known for his role as Lord Sugar’s adviser on The Apprentice.
This year’s challenge supported 12 charities across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, including Medical Detection Dogs, The Lewis Foundation, Cynthia Spencer Hospice, Northampton Hope Centre and Rainbows Hospice.
The Lewis Foundation attracted the highest number of fundraising teams, with participants raising almost £20,000 to help provide gift packs for adult cancer patients undergoing hospital treatment.
Lorraine Lewis, co-founder of The Lewis Foundation, said: “The Challenge offers a unique way to raise funds and get the community involved rather than traditional fundraising. It costs £3.60 to provide a gift pack so with the amount raised, there’s going to be lots of people we can support through a really dark time.”
Andrea Smith, Equity Partner at Franklins Solicitors, said: “The £50 Challenge continues to demonstrate what can be achieved when people combine creativity, determination and community spirit. Every team should be incredibly proud of what they have accomplished. Together they have raised an amazing amount for local charities while developing new skills and bringing people together for a fantastic cause.”
Now in its eighth year, the Franklins Solicitors £50 Challenge has raised more than £243,000 for charities across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes since launching in 2018.
