Kind Lee-on-the-Solent teen set to run 60km to raise funds for children's mental health

Charity supporter Cameron Irvine, 14, will be lacing up his trainers to run 60km – 37-and-a-half miles – throughout June to provide support and awareness for YoungMinds, which supports children and young people’s mental health.

Cameron, from Lee-on-the-Solent, has already raised his target of £200 so far, but is hoping more might come in over the course of the month.

The Bay House School student said: ‘You see a lot in the news about young people’s mental health. I just thought it would be a good idea so I would push myself. I like giving to others that don’t have it because I’m very fortunate.’

For this particular charity effort, he will be taking on three 5km runs each week, and has been posting updates on his fundraising page so supporters can keep track of how it is going.

A few years ago, Cameron also did a fundraiser for cancer charities in which he took on 10,000 steps a day for a month and raised £150, as well as taking part in school fundraisers over the years.

Proud mum-of-four Karen Charleston said: ‘I’m so proud of him, it’s not the first time he has done this but he is modest about it.

‘He has always been a giver more than a taker and that’s why I’m so proud of him because he just wanted to think about other people rather than himself all the time.

‘It’s nice when a child does something like that, it does show some example to teenagers that they can put some good into the world.’

Karen is hoping other teenagers might follow kindhearted Cameron’s example and use their time during lockdown to give something back to others who might need it.

She added: ‘It shows children can do something good for charity. It gives them something to do with their time and it keeps them fit as well.’

Visit gf.me/u/x6gqhi to donate towards Cameron’s fundraiser and help him smash his target even further before he finishes on July 1.

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