A Derby charity fundraiser has successfully completed his ultimate challenge to raise money for local charity Safe and Sound’s Butterfly Appeal.
Simon Barcz from Oakwood has raised more than £4,500 on top of the thousands he has already secured for Derby-based Safe and Sound which specialises in grassroots work across the county to transform the lives of children and young people who are victims of or at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE).
Mr Barcz, who is a heat treatment specialist at Gardner Aerospace in Derby started his fundraising journey as part of his fitness drive to tackle type 2 diabetes.
Having shed nearly six stone, he set his sights on trekking to Everest Base Camp – tackling 115km across difficult terrain and battling altitude sickness to reach heights of 19,000ft above sea level.
He left Derby earlier this month – the day after his 40th birthday – and flew to Kathmandu and then onto Lukla before starting the 11-day trek.
On his return, he joined family and friends for a belated birthday celebration at The Neptune pub in the city centre which has sponsored him for the challenge alongside DBY Flooring and JRU Building Services.
Mr Barcz said: “Having done all sorts of charity fundraising challenges – I wanted to do the ultimate trip and you don’t get much bigger than going to the Everest base camp in the Himalayas.
“I was very tough physically, mentally and emotionally but I am so glad I have done it and particularly to have exceeded my fundraising target for Safe and Sound.
“When I first started raising money to give me the motivation to change my lifestyle, I supported national charities but switched to Safe and Sound as I wanted the money I raised to go to a local charity that supports children and young people in this county.
“This was definitely a trip of a lifetime and I now plan to take a year off to spend more time with the family before re-grouping and deciding on my next fundraising challenge.”
The money raised will go towards Safe and Sound’s Butterfly Appeal to enable the charity to expand its work to support young people, their families and further raise awareness of CSE amongst local communities.
Safe and Sound chief executive Tracy Harrison said: “Simon has been one of our most active fundraisers in recent years and we are extremely proud and grateful for him taking on this endeavour.
“The money he has so kindly raised will greatly help us to develop the vital work needed to support and protect children and young people from the devastating and manipulative damage that sexual exploitation has on their lives.”
Donations can still be made by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simon-barcz3
For more information about how to support Safe and Sound, please visit www.safeandsoundgroup.org.uk and follow on Facebook and Twitter @safeandsoundgroup or email [email protected]
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Media enquiries: Sarah Jenkin-Jones, JJPR, Tel: 01332 515102/07951 945665; [email protected]
About Safe and Sound and the Butterfly Appeal
Safe and Sound was launched in 2002 and is the only local charity that is totally focused on transforming the lives of thousands of children and young people who are victims or are at risk of child sexual exploitation across Derbyshire.
Safe and Sound’s expertise came to the fore during the 2010 landmark case – Operation Retriever – which was Derby’s first prosecution for child sexual exploitation and abuse. The charity’s specialist team supported every young person affected by the criminal actions of 13 defendants who were jailed in total for up to 22 years for 70 offences.
Safe and Sound’s specialist team provides individual support for children and young people from as young as eight up to the age of 18. They also raise awareness of the issue and the dangers facing children and young people through awareness programmes for schools, organisations, businesses and community groups.
Safe and Sound has launched the Butterfly Appeal #Buildingstrongwings to bring to fruition its vision for expanded services to support young people, families and wider community.
The charity’s future vision is extensive and includes:
– A new outreach programme to provide hands-on support where young people are at their most vulnerable
– Wider support for the families of victims and those at risk of CSE
– Youth work programmes with new activities from music to sport to build young people’s confidence and resilience
– Specialist psychological therapy programmes to tackle trauma, anxiety and depression
– Longer term support for survivors moving into adulthood enabling them to mentor younger victims
– An expanded community education programme to increase public awareness of CSE and the dangers facing young people
Supporters and ambassadors include the Chief Constable of Derbyshire who has chosen Safe and Sound as one of his chosen charities.
For more information about child sexual exploitation, Safe and Sound Derby and the Butterfly Appeal please visitwww.safeandsoundgroup.co.uk and follow on social media. A powerful video outlining young people’s experiences and why local people and businesses should support Safe and Sound is online at https://youtu.be/xjcb1y2cfGE
About CSE
In the UK today, one in 20 children suffer sexual abuse which includes child sexual exploitation. That means that in every classroom in Derbyshire, there is at least one vulnerable young person in need of help.
Child Sexual Exploitation (commonly referred to as CSE) is a form of child sexual abuse and takes many different forms from rape and sexual assault to online grooming and encouraging children to share inappropriate images of themselves.
CSE is a particularly manipulative form of abuse and is also linked to such criminal exploitation issues such as County Lines, gangs, trafficking and modern slavery.
The key factor is that individuals or groups take advantage of young people by manipulating or deceiving them into sexual activity in exchange for something the victim needs or wants. This could range from money and alcohol to less tangible things such as the attention that they crave at a vulnerable time in their lives.