Kettering man raises hundreds through NHS Keep Up Challenge

A man from Kettering has raised hundreds for the NHS Charities Together through a keep up challenge.

Andrew Lewis, 35, started the NHS Keep Up Challenge to support the charity for NHS staff and volunteers caring for patients during the coronavirus crisis.

Writing on the challenge's JustGiving page, Andrew said: "The NHS are doing an amazing job under the most difficult of circumstances at the moment, so I wanted to set up a fun way of raising money to help support.

"The idea with the #NHSKeepUpChallenge campaign is to encourage people to upload a video of themselves doing round 10 keep ups (possibly including tricks and skills), tag in another five friends and donate a minimum of £5 to this JustGiving page."

Andrew said: "Watching the news every morning was inspiration, seeing all the different people doing different challenges for the NHS and then you see all the work these guys are doing for us.

"I felt I could do something to give back, I started the challenge on May 13 and I'm running it for a month but I could extend it."

Andrew has been on furlough from his job as head of international sales for a jewellery company, so he said he wanted to do something positive with his time and felt the challenge benefits the NHS but also gives families in lockdown something to do together.

He said: "My sister and her daughter did it together, they didn't do keep ups but they passed the ball between each other."

Andrew had a target of £500 but the NHS Keep Up Challenge has exceeded this and raised £510 so far with another £90.25 of Gift Aid.

He said: "I would really like to push to get as much money raised as possible to support the incredible work our front line workers are doing for us all at such a difficult time."

To take part, film yourself attempting to do 10 keep ups, post it online with the hashtag #NHSKeepUpChallenge and tag five more people to do the challenge. Then donate your £5 to the JustGiving page here.The money raised will go to the NHS Charities, which is a collection of 250 charities providing funds and services above what the health service alone can provide. Everyday it gives £1m to the NHS.

The NHS Charities' website said: "In recent years NHS charities have funded major capital projects, pioneering research and medical equipment at our hospitals, helping patients access the best possible care when they need it most.

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