Lydia Sewell is 9 years old, and has been ‘getting into gear’ for Toybox by cycling from Workington to Tynemouth to raise money for Toybox and the street children! The Sewell family cycled the challenge over five days, and Lydia raised an amazing £160!  Well done to Lydia and all the Sewells, what a great achievement!

Lydia’s hard work will go towards helping rescue children from a life on the streets of Latin America. Children like Mario.

Mario’s parents died when he was 13, and along with his brother was sent to live with and work for their Aunt. However, the boys Aunt mistreated them, accused them of theft and tried to take them to court. Mario and his brother didn’t know what to do, until they met one of the team from the Oruro Red Alert Network. The team was able to help the boys and supported them through the legal case. Mario and his brother are now safe and are able to be a part of a Toybox project within the Oruro Red Alert Network.

Mario says “I have the support of people who have helped me and are supporting me, especially with my homework. I like to do homework and now I’m better, I can go to school and then go to work just for me and I do not have to give money to my aunt and stand her abuse… “

Thanks to the efforts of fine folk like Lydia and her family, Mario and his brother can look forward to a bright future.

If you’ve been inspired by Lydia’s efforts, then go to our fundraising pages for more ideas of how you can get involved and make a difference in the lives of children like Mario.

This month’s ‘Fundraiser of the Month’ is Sam Brogan!

Sam has been getting on his bike for the street children! What Sam has achieved, many people wouldn’t even consider doing – Sam rose to the challenge of cycling 185 miles in only two days!

To start with, he cycled a mere 70 miles from Doncaster to Hull, but then jumped on a ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge and rode another 115 miles all the way to Haacht in Belgium as part of a school sports exchange – all in the space of two days!

Having heard about Toybox at his Church youth group, Sam decided that he would cycle 185 to raise money to help the street children of Latin America. What an amazing thing to do! Sam has managed to raise a massive £1000 – brilliant!

Without the effort, care and sheer will-power of people like Sam, Toybox wouldn’t be able to change the lives of children living and working on the streets in Latin America, so thank you Sam, and keep on pedalling!

Have you been inspired to fundraise?

Then why not get active and have a look at our fundraising pack – packed full of ideas, tips and resources, it’s your complete guide to raising money for the street children! Download the pack here

Our cyclists are still out on the road, pedalling steadily onward. They are so exhausted that no-one has made it to an internet station lately, but they did manage to phone through the report below.

Saturday was great. A long but good day with 95 miles covered! The ride was a smooth and beautiful one through North Yorkshire. Overnight was spent in Durham.

Sunday was shorter but actually a lot tougher. The team were beset by incessant rain, and soaked through. They also managed to get lost and added on an extra 15 miles to their day as a result. Whoops! However, their detour did lead them to an amazing coffee shop where they were able to get some respite in the form of tea, coffee and yummy cake, plus rest for weary legs. Bryness was a welcome end to the day.

The team are cycling to raise money to help children in Latin America, like Juan. Juan was just four when he came off the streets to live in a Toybox home. He says “I was very, very scared when the street team said they would help me, as people normally hurt me. No-one had ever been kind to me before so I did not trust them. I was so tired and hungry I didn’t have the energy to run away, though I wanted to. As it turns out it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now I have a home and a family. I thank God for my new life every day.”

If you are following the cyclists’ progress and would like to help street children like Juan, please go to www.justgiving.com/toyboxcycling to make a donation.

Thank you!