PRIME Minister David Cameron has recognised the achievements of a mother and son who raised £20,000 in memory of 11-year-old Daniel Climance.
Daniel died in June last year after he collided with a road-sweeper in Purton while bike riding with his father and older brother.
The Doing It For Dan virtual run event was launched by Daniel’s childhood best friend, 12-year-old Callum Smart and his mother Claire from St Andrew’s Ridge with all proceeds going towards road safety charity Brake.
Callum and Claire have now been recognised by Downing Street as the 526th and 527th Points of Light across the UK, an accolade which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a difference in their communities and inspiring others.
The Bridlewood Primary pupil’s appeal travelled worldwide with generous sprinters from Brazil, New Zealand, Qatar, Dubai and Switzerland signing up in their hundreds to race in memory of Daniel.
The campaign was so successful that throughout 2015, 1,000 people covered a combined distance of 5,000 miles, raising over £20,000 for Brake.
Claire said the personal congratulations from the Prime Minister had left her shocked but delighted.
“Callum was absolutely chuffed, he couldn’t believe it and it means the world to him. Seeing how far we’ve come and knowing that Daniel’s name lives on was what was most important to us.
“It was surreal to see that David Cameron has been talking about us and seen the work that we did. We’re all delighted about it.
“Losing Daniel was heart-breaking but this ensures that his name will never be forgotten.”
Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the pair in their efforts to improve road safety.
“With the Virtual Race Callum and Claire have created an innovative way to get people on six continents involved in raising awareness and money to support the work of road safety charity, Brake. Their efforts are an inspiring tribute to the memory of Callum’s friend, Dan, and will help to save the lives of other young people. So I am delighted to recognise Callum and Claire as the UK’s 526th & 527th Points of Light.”
Inspired by the fundraiser’s success, Brake are using “Doing It For Them” as their 2016 campaign slogan, with Daniel’s story at the heart of their latest safety crusade.
Claire and Callum were also named Brake’s road safety fundraisers of the year at a glittering house of Parliament reception in February,
Joe Fenton, community fundraiser at Brake said: “We are delighted that Claire and Callum have been presented with the ‘Points of Light’ award and recognised for their achievements. Their enthusiasm to raise both money and awareness for Brake has been truly inspiring and we really can’t thank them enough for their support.”
Charity Brake promotes road safety awareness, safe and sustainable road use and effective road safety policies. They aim to completely stop road injuries and deaths.
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