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Oct 20

A pupil at New Mill Junior School has received a ‘Covid-19 Community Award’ from Selby District Council after raising £3,500 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Between the end of April and July, adhering to social distancing rules, UGirl Remi Weatherhead aged nine, has been on a Covid-19 mission visiting local children and families across Huddersfield, Calderdale, Sherburn in Elmet and Cumbria along with her father UMan, raising community morale, improving wellbeing and lifting people’s spirits during the pandemic.

UMan, created by Shaun Weatherhead from Huddersfield, known locally for his work in schools as part of the U Can Shine children’s wellbeing project has helped inspire more than 75,000 children across the North of England.

It was Remi who inspired her father to don his superhero outfit to bring local cheer to the community during the pandemic and she offered to join him as his sidekick UGirl.

During their mission, UGirl and UMan raised over £3,500 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance from their community street visits, exceeding their initial £1,000 target.

Remi received her Covid-19 Community Award in recognition of the work she has done in Sherburn in Elmet where her cousins live.

A Yorkshire Air Ambulance cheque presentation took place at Remi’s school in New Mill with her classmates from her bubble, Head Teacher Evelyne Barrow, Angela Vyas from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and UMan celebrating Remi’s award and the money raised for the charity.

Councillor Dave Brooks, said: “On behalf of Sherburn in Elmet I would like to express our thanks to Remi and UMan for considering our community during their fundraising tour of Yorkshire. Their efforts raised a smile and spread some positivity during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More importantly the monies raised for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance will help to support a vital service for the whole of Yorkshire. As a Yorkshire Party Councillor, it fills me with pride that a young person has used such creativity to support a worthwhile cause. Well done to Remi.”

Remi’s head teacher at New Mill Junior School, Evelyne Barrow said: “As a school we are immensely proud of Remi, she has been an amazing role model to her peers and gone above and beyond for her community during this very difficult time. Putting the happiness of others before her own, she has gone out of her way to cheer up those who have been struggling during lockdown and worked hard to raise spirits raising such an amazing sum of money for the air ambulance. What a star!”

Angela Vyas, West Yorkshire Community Fundraiser at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to congratulate Remi on her Covid-19 Community Award and thank both Remi and Shaun for their continued support and generosity during lockdown.

It costs £12,000 a day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and air and the support we receive is truly appreciated.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5 million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,500 missions every year. The charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

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