Wirral Life May 2020 | Page 6

IN BRIEF T-REX DELIVERS FREE SCHOOL MEALS TO CHILDREN IN CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN THE MANY MILES OF MAY FOR ALDER HEY 12-year-old Jess Weaver hasn’t let lockdown get in the way of her raising money for Alder Hey Hospital. Jess is a is a young ambassador for Alder Hey children's charity and every year for the past 5 years… let’s remember she’s only 12 now… she has been cycling to raise money in memory of her baby sister Georgie who died at Alder Hey aged just 5 days. Every May, Jess sets herself a challenge. Her first bike ride, on a trike when she was six, consisted of 11 miles. That has built up every year until this year, on Georgie’s anniversary, she was due to cycle from Llandudno pier to her hometown of Neston. A T-Rex has been spotted delivering free school meals to kids across Merseyside who normally receive food in school. Primary school teachers Sam Bryan and Joe Parsonage from the Wirral have been volunteering to deliver the meals alongside their trusty T-Rex Jam bringing "positivity and humour to families” and making sure to observe social distancing rules. The pair are part-time teachers from Wirral, who run an educational company, Teach Rex, visiting schools around the country with their dinosaur puppet to hold unique and engaging workshops. Sam from Teach Rex said “We are following very strict health guidelines to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Last Friday, we delivered free school meals to children at Riverside Primary School in Wallasey and it was a privilege to see the children’s reactions” He said: "We believe that if everyone does their little bit and keeps the faith that we will learn some invaluable lessons and come out the other side a better society and better people” As two Teachers, Teach Rex are also putting out educational ideas to keep your children busy at home. So head over to their Facebook page to see more. 6 wirrallife.com This 50 odd mile trip was her longest yet, but due to Covid-19 imposed social distancing and lockdown, this event has, rightly, had to be cancelled. Her mum Emma said: “She was so terribly upset at not being able to complete it and then she said ‘Mum if I’m allowed outside for an hour a day then why can’t I just ride my bike then?’ so that’s what she did. She is cycling locally every day in May and she’s getting faster already!” Jess’s challenge is called the Many Miles of May, but she doesn’t want to know how many miles she’s actually done until the end of the month. Emma said: “She’s doing really well, every week I tell her how many miles she’s put in, but she won’t hear the full total until she’s finished. She is working so hard at it.” Over the years, Jess has raised more than £20,000 for Alder Hey including her bike rides and other charity activity including a zumbathon and an 80’s night. The money raised this year is going to help fund the building of the new Alder Centre which is a brand new, state of the art facility which is accessible to anybody who has been affected by the loss of a child, at any age. If you’d like to donate to Jess’s Many Miles of May challenge then go to: www.justgiving.com/jess6thbikeride or follow her on Facebook at Majesstic fundraiser and on Instagram @ambassadorjess