Two nine-year-old boys from Sutton Coldfield have crossed the finish line after running 30 laps, equivalent to eight miles, around their local park and raising over £1,070 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity.

Thoughtful pals Freddie Durrans and Thomas George were inspired to get moving by their poorly friend Joshua, who is under the care of Birmingham Children’s Hospital while he waits for a kidney transplant.

Freddie and Thomas were sad when they learnt that Joshua wasn’t very well, so as well as looking out for their best buddy, under the guidance of their mums, Helen and Hannah, they came up with a plan to raise money to say thank you to the doctors and nurses who treat him.

With interests in football and rugby, and a mutually active and competitive nature, Freddie and Thomas settled on a sponsored run, and asked their family and friends to donate £1 for every lap of Little Aston Park completed.

When the day came around the weather was hot but that didn’t faze Freddie and Thomas as they set out on their first lap, with a few other friends in tow, including brave Joshua who kept up with them on his bike. All of the pals made an admirable effort and gained a lot of interest from passers-by in the park, but it was just Freddie and Thomas left standing as they ran their 30^th and final lap.

Freddie’s mum, Helen, said: “Freddie and Thomas are such determined characters so I had no doubt that they’d see their challenge through, but I didn’t quite expect them to run as far as they did! In the end, Hannah] and I did actually have to suggest they stop at 30 laps or they’d have run all night!

“The boys were thrilled with the amount they raised and even managed to gain sponsorship from strangers who saw them running on the day! It means a lot to them that they could do something to support Joshua in this little way.”

Miranda Williams, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “It must be difficult for Freddie and Thomas to see Joshua going through such a tough time. However, by showing their support for their best friend and raising such an incredible amount, they’ll be helping us do more for sick kids just like Joshua, whether that’s improving their experience while in hospital, finding break-through treatments or having the latest start-of-the-art equipment available to use.”