Pride of Britain: Leeds youngster picks up prestigious award after raising £160k in memory of mum
A 10-year-old from Leeds said his mum would be “filling heaven up” with her tears after he won a Pride of Britain award for raising more than £160,000 in her memory.
Jacob Newson was seven-years-old when his mother Andrea died after a battle with breast cancer at the age of 49.
Since then, he has taken on several fundraising expeditions both in the UK and abroad with the help of his dad.
They have raising more than £160,000 for St Gemma’s Hospice in Moortown, which looked after his mum, as well as the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, which provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families.
Nicknamed 'Jacob the Pilot' because of his love of planes, the youngster’s efforts were recently recognised at the 25th Pride of Britain Awards, where he won the Good Morning Britain young fundraiser of the year award.
“I’m really excited, happy and proud of myself to win this award,” said Jacob. “My mummy would be filling heaven up with her tears.”
His dad, Andrew, is an ambulance practitioner with Yorkshire Ambulance Service. He said: “When Andrea was alive, because of the nature of my job, she kind of took the role as the main parent.
“So when she passed away, it was a whole new learning curve. I had to reset and be a dad and mum all at the same time.”
The 56-year-old armed forces veteran, who served in Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo, said their adventures have been a “massive healing process” for the pair, because they've had the chance to spend time away from the city.
The father-son duo have completed several charity challenges in recent years, from climbing Ben Nevis and finishing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to tackling the highest peak in North Africa, Mount Toubkal in Morocco.
In August, the adventurous pair finished a four-day trek across the Pyrenees from France to Spain.
Jacob has also been able to explore his passion for aviation over the years. He has flown in an RAF aircraft over the North Sea after a visit to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire earlier this year.
The youngster has also worked with the RAF Regiment to complete an assault course at their base in Honington, Suffolk, in 2022.
A spokesperson for St Gemma’s Hospice said: “Since caring for Jacob’s mum Andrea in 2020, Jacob has not only made a significant financial impact on our hospice through his fundraising but has also inspired countless others in our community.
“He recently helped us to open a brand new facility for children and young people just like him, grappling with the difficult experience of losing a loved one, a very special day indeed.
“Jacob embodies the spirit of compassion and resilience we see so often in the families we care for, he has demonstrated that age is never a barrier to making a difference.”
Ben Alonso, director of fundraising at the RAF Benevolent Fund, said: “It’s heartwarming to see that Jacob’s passion for all things RAF remains sky-high – all of us at the fund are incredibly grateful for Jacob’s support and congratulate him on his well-deserved win.”
A judging panel selected the winners from a shortlist after tens of thousands of public nominations were received.
The Pride of Britain Awards ceremony will be shown on ITV1 at 8pm tonight (October 24).