After losing our beautiful 22 year old son, Matthew, to SADS in August 2011 and then learning about CRY, we knew immediately we wanted to do something to help support CRY’s mission. But, just getting through those awful days was challenge enough. It was hard to think straight let alone fundraise, so, as Matt had enjoyed being a part-time milky in his last few years, it just seemed fitting to save spare change for CRY in a milk bottle.

Soon family and friends started to try to collect a ‘pint of pennies’ and quickly the idea spread throughout the community and beyond. It takes a lot of time and patience to fill a milk bottle with coins (a milk bottle holds around £6 in pennies) so it’s a real challenge to stick with it, but by March 2012 ‘Matt’s Milk Bottle Challenge!’ had begun in earnest with an overall aim of collecting enough loose change to fund a local CRY heart screening. Almost exactly 5 years on and literally hundreds of milk bottles later (and with probably as many people involved), the unstinting generosity shown has raised this £5,000.

So, Matt’s Milk Bottle Challenge! Thanks to everyone who took part – small things can make a BIG difference.

Barry & Paula Hesmondhalgh