Stepping up to raise cash for new kits

Rafferty Whittingham, from Sowerby Bridge, has climbed Scammonden Steps every day for a month to raise money to buy ktis for his club, Yorkshire Juniors U-12s.

A young footballer ran up around 10,000 stairs over the course of a month to raise money to buy kits for his fledgling club.

Eleven-year-old Rafferty Whittingham, from Sowerby Bridge, took on the challenge of running up five flights of the Scammonden Steps six days a week for a month to help Yorkshire Juniors pay for kits and equipment.

Between sponsorship and an online Just Giving page his efforts have raised a whopping £700.

Rafferty’s mum, Kirstie Whittingham, said: “It’s not got any easier throughout the weeks but he been determined. It’s him that has said ‘mum we need to go out and do it’.

“The steps are an impressive feat for anyone – for an 11-year-old to stick at this for a month I find pretty impressive.”

Rafferty, who modestly admitted that he was proud of his efforts, said: “I suppose it was quite hard.

“A lot of steps are small and difficult to get your feet on. Some are broken as well – I think they’ve done it on purpose!”