George Holt swims a mile for Springhill Hospice

George Holt swims a mile for Springhill Hospice and raised an incredible £541.10

Young George Holt decided he wanted to raise money for Springhill Hospice after collecting £50 for them last year with a chocolate raffle. That time his dad Paul doubled the money but he couldn’t do that again this year - because George raised £541.10.

The challenge he set himself this time was to swim a mile and he completed the 64 lengths in one hour 20 minutes.

That’s no mean feat for someone aged just seven years old and asked how he was able to keep himself going for that length of time he said: “I was getting really tired but as I swam the last length I looked at the end of the pool and knew that if I could touch it I would be able to collect a lot of money.”

During the challenge, dad Paul was with George every step of the way – or to be more precise following him in the water a few yards behind – just to make sure he was all right.

George’s swimming teacher at Oulder Hill Pool arranged for a separate lane to be roped off for him.

Paul explained that they chose Springhill Hospice because it was a fantastic local charity that anybody might need in the future and although George never met him, his great grandad was cared for there.

The Littleborough Primary School pupil is a proper action man and in addition to swimming likes walking, cycling and karate. He is due to take his orange belt in the next couple of weeks.

George called into Springhill’s Craven Tearoom on Broad Lane in Rochdale at the weekend to hand over his amazing donation and after declaring a large piece of chocolate orange cake “delicious” he was presented with a Star Fundraiser certificate and a Baby Springy mascot, with the grateful thanks of everyone at the Hospice, by Community Support Fundraiser, Barbara Lloyd.