A 10 year old football mad schoolboy from Shildon has raised more than £520 for local boy’s and men mental health charity Brothers after completing an inspiring month long football challenge.
Alfie Stabler-Mortimer, a massive Liverpool supporter, committed to completing 100 kick ups every single day throughout February to raise funds for Brothers, a community organisation focused on early intervention and support for boys and men’s mental health.
What started as a £500 fundraising target has now surpassed expectations, with Alfie raising £520 and counting.
Despite the rain, freezing temperatures, school homework, football training sessions and weekend matches, Alfie has not missed a single day.
He is currently 1,700 kick-ups into the challenge, with more still to complete.
His mam, Kathryn, said: “I’m so proud. Not just because of the money he’s raised, but because he has shown real consistency and determination. Not once has he said ‘I can’t be bothered.’
“What’s touched him most is the kindness of people. He keeps saying, ‘I can’t believe people care that much about what a 10 year old boy does.’”
Alfie decided to take on the challenge after learning more about the work of Brothers, which focuses on preventing crisis in men and boys by building confidence, resilience and connection early in life.
The family live in Shildon, County Durham, an area facing significant deprivation and high rates of male suicide. Although still young, Alfie understood that some boys and men grow up without the support they need.
“He said he wanted to do something football related to help lads feel stronger,” Kathryn added.
Alfie, whose football heroes include Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, hopes his challenge shows that even small actions can make a big difference.
Brothers supports boys and men across the region through community programmes, early intervention projects and awareness initiatives designed to prevent crisis before it happens.
Kathryn said: “This challenge has been about more than fundraising. It’s been about teaching him that when you stand up for something positive, your community stands with you.”
Alfie’s fundraising page remains open, and he plans to complete the full month of kick-ups before celebrating his achievement. You can support Alfie either by donating at the link here or simply following his progress and sharing the message.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
Alfie Mortimer
well done 👏 x
Well done
Well done xx
👌well done 👏
Great stuff
Well done
Well done 👏
Well done young man x
Well done 👏
well done young fella x
Well done 👏
Well done .
Congratulations to you 👏
Well done 👏
Well done young man 👏👍👏
Well done 👍
Well done
Fantastic achievement to raise that amount of money for a worthy cause. 👏👏😁