Freddie, the boy who 'despises' walking, does 20,000 steps in a week to help feed children at his own school

When Marcus Rashford led the campaign to get the Government to continue feeding hungry children over the half-term holidays, it inspired one nine-year-old Bristol boy more than most.

Freddie Coombs talked to his mum Sinead and decided he wanted to raise £100 for the cause, and he’d do it by doing the thing he ‘despises’, according to his mum - walking.

He set himself the target of walking 20,000 steps in less than a week, and perhaps didn’t quite realise just how far his little legs would have to take him when he picked the number.

He started last Friday at the end of the half-term holiday, so that weekend he and his family set out on long walks, and then every day this week after classes have finished at Compass Point primary school in Bedminster, the Year 5 pupil has set off around the playing field in South Street Park opposite the school gates, while his mum watches.

Sinead has set up a Just Giving page, and the sight of Freddie striding off has touched the hearts of the parents of his fellow pupils - and he’s already more than doubled his original target.

Walking takes a bit too long, so Freddie tends to run around the park.

“What he does is put my phone with the step counter app on it in his pocket and off he goes,” said Sinead. “I will make a note of how many steps I’ve done at the point I’ve handed it over, and work out how many he’s done when he stops - he’s about 2,000 short at the moment,” she added, speaking before the start of Wednesday’s laps of the park.

The family recently moved from Redcliffe to Shirehampton, and have been supporting a foodbank in Avonmouth, but Freddie said he wanted to support his fellow pupils in Bedminster, and donations raised will go towards Compass Point’s efforts to support families in need during the coronavirus lockdown, and the upcoming Christmas holidays.

“I’m raising the money for people who don’t really have that much food,” said Freddie. “I get a bit out of breath.”
His mum Sinead said Freddie wasn’t really a fan of walking. “Freddie is a child who despises walking and will do anything to avoid it,” she said.

“His hope is that he will raise money so that families will be able to have access to meals during this difficult time,” she added.

Compass Point’s headteacher Linda Brown said Freddie was ‘a real credit to the young people of Bristol’.

“He is great, he’s just a really good example of what young people are like - he’s lovely, caring and always thinking of others and how he can help,” she said.

“It was Freddie who decided he wanted to make bird boxes to put in the park, and he just did it. He likes to think of others all the time. We’re lucky we’ve got lots of great children at the school, and Freddie is a real credit to the young people of Bristol,” she added.

Mrs Brown said while the Government had not kept up the free school meals initiative over the most recent half term, they had been supported by Bristol City Council and the foodbank and its volunteers that cover BS3.

“It is always a challenge, and Freddie’s money will be very well received, is much needed and will be well spent,” she said.

“The support we’re able to provide with the foodbank only covers parents who live in BS3, so in terms of our families, there are unfortunately some who don’t live in BS3 who it is more of a challenge to help,” she added.

Source: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/freddie-boy-who-despises-walking-4671377

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