Clitheroe schoolboy’s lucky break

Sam (12), a Year 8 pupil at St Augustine’s RC High School, Billington, had tried his hand at everything he could think of to raise the necessary £1,400 he needed for a pre-season trip to Barbados with his team mates from Lancashire Cricket Club’s under 13’s squad.

He explained: “I had tried to raise the sponsorship by doing odd jobs and all sorts of other things. I had fallen far short of the amount that I would need to go on the trip and I was really wondering what else I could do.”

Sam’s luck changed one Saturday morning as he packed bags at Booths in yet another bid to raise the money he needed. Waddington man Mr Cox, who runs his own painting and decorating business, was doing his weekly shop when he bumped into Sam.

“I was really impressed that a young lad was trying his best to raise this large sum of money and got talking to him about the trip and the difficulties he was having. As a keen member of my local shoot, I suggested that I try and help him by speaking to the some of the other shoot members, as well as some of my customers, to see if we could help to raise the rest of the money needed. In the event, we managed to get some very generous donations from business contacts, but mainly from shoots such as Hoghton Tower, Bolton Hall, Whitewell and Dunsop Bridge. With extra help from some of my wonderful customers, we now have more than £800 to add to the money that Sam has already raised.”

Mr Cox continued: “He’s such a polite, well mannered lad and after seeing how hard he was trying to help himself, I wanted to do my bit to get him the rest of the way towards his dream trip.”

Sam, in turn, is very grateful indeed, adding: “I would like to thank Dale very much for all his hard work in helping me raise the money I needed - everyone’s been so very generous.”