20 children help raise over £30,000 at Aylesbury charity fundraiser to help 12-year-old boy on life support

On Saturday (July 9), 20 children took part in a gruelling running exercise to raise money for the family of Archie Battersbee.

The Aylesbury charity raised £2,000, nationally over £30,000 has been sent to the family.

Taking place at the William Harding School playing fields in Aylesbury the children running were representing the De Lick Kids Foundation.

Archie’s family are currently battling with the Barts Health NHS Trust, after doctors representing the organisation said he was brain dead.

The 12-year-old was put on life support after a suspected online prank went horribly wrong.

At a High Court hearing last month, Archie was declared brain-stem dead, with a judge ruling in the trust’s favour to turn off his machine.

An appeal led by Archie’s mother Hollie Dance is ongoing at High Court, yesterday (12 July) doctors said they believe the 12-year-old is ‘unresponsive’.

Archie’s family has consistently argued that he is alive claiming they have video evidence showing he is capable of grabbing people’s hands.

Among the people gripped by the trial over the Southend youngster’s life is De Lick Foundation founders Ollie Bessell and Nathan Graham.

They have reached out to Hollie in support and agree with her claim that Archie is still alive.

As such they have chosen to donate all funds from their annual fundraiser to Archie this term.

In previous years since the charity was formed in 2019, they have dedicated the money to children in need closer to home in Aylesbury or Bucks.

The 20 youngsters put forward for Saturday’s exercise covered 34 miles running on one of the hottest days in recent memory.

All the youngsters were challenged to complete as many laps of the school field as they physically could.

It wasn’t all pain and hard running at Saturday’s event a bouncy castle, ice cream, and food van, plus a balloon display was organised.

The De Lick Kids Foundation was launched by the team behind the gym with the same name.

It aims to give children an outlet which will teach them how to be disciplined and keep fit, while also gaining strong morale and confidence.