Coronavirus: Young footballer, 11, reaches 7.1 million keepy-uppies for key workers
Written by News on 04/11/2020
An 11-year-old football fan has completed her coronavirus charity challenge to reach 7.1 million keepy-uppies – with a little help from those around the world inspired by her fundraising efforts.
Imogen Papworth-Heidel, from Hauxton, near Cambridge, aimed for the eye-watering number to represent each key worker in the UK – according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies – and did the last 3,000 at Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium on Wednesday.
The Arsenal fan – whose parents both work for the NHS – revealed she was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore after he completed 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday, raising £33m for the national health service.
She recently got to meet him at the at the Pride of Britain Awards where she was honoured in the FA’s Lionhearts squad, which pays homage to 23 inspirational “everyday heroes” who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic.
Imogen, who has been playing football from the age of six, was given the number seven shirt in the squad, which also includes Sir Tom and fitness coach Joe Wicks.
She said she did not think she would reach her target so quickly, adding: “I’m just absolutely speechless at how much money we’ve raised, how many keepy-uppies have been donated and how many kind messages of support have come in.”
The schoolgirl, who trains with Cambridge United’s youth academy and Essex County FA Girls Regional Talent Club, has raised more than £10,800 for nine charities through her JustGiving page.
She was initially doing 200 a day, but her parents worked out that it would take her 97 years to complete her target at that rate, so she started doing more during lockdown and in the summer got help from others.
The remaining 5,976,414 keepy-uppies were donated by around 2,000 people who took videos of themselves taking part in the challenge and emailed them to her mum and dad.
Among those joining in, were England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford and Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp.
Her parents, Sarah, 37, and Karl, 50, who both work for the NHS in patient safety, helped count them, admitting it was “tiring”.
Mr Heidel said they had received up to 50 videos a day, adding: “Literally, we were sitting there counting up till about midnight some nights doing it, just trying to put the latest figures out.”
People from around the world joined in, he said, including a patient having chemotherapy who did keepy-uppies with a balloon next to her hospital bed.
“I think the most amazing thing about it is the number of people that she has inspired to have got out there, to have started practising keepy-uppies,” Mr Heidel continued.
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“I’m really proud of her.
“She could easily have sat on her X-Box or played computer games but actually what she’s done is gone out into the garden, rain or shine, and just banged them out.”
Imogen raised money for the NHS, Mind, The Fire Fighters Charity, Police Care UK, The Care Workers Charity, SSAFA – The Armed Forces Charity, Education Support, East Anglian Air Ambulance, and Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Young footballer, 11, reaches 7.1 million keepy-uppies for key workers
