Youngster's hill-climbing efforts raise funds for football team's kits
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A seven-year-old Elgin boy has helped has put shirts on the backs of his footballing team mates with his superb hill-climbing efforts.
Thorfinn Wade (7), who is P3 at Linkwood Primary School, raised £820 by climbing Ben Rinnes, Ben Aigan and Bin of Cullen across five days.
The money was enough to buy 20 football kits for the school's newly-formed football team.
Proud father Paul Wade said: "Thorfinn attends football festivals every second Saturday and his team was the only one without strips.
"He wondered if there was something he could do to change that. Between the two of us we talked about doing some hill walking.
"It was a huge challenge – we started with Ben Rinnes and half way up that he was feeling it, but he is delighted to have finished.
"He was given a recognition award at school and has had messages from families of team mates saying the kids appreciate what he has done.
"Older pupils have been stopping him in school to congratulate him and he has had a video from Elgin City's captain (Matthew Cooper). He is very proud of the whole thing."
The challenge, completed in April, began on a Friday when Paul and Thorfinn climbed 800-metre tall Ben Rinnes.
The pair tackled Ben Aigan on the Sunday, before the whole family – mum Nikki and young siblings Lachlan (4) and Eilish (1) – came together to finish the challenge by climbing Bin of Cullen on the Tuesday.
Andrew Jackson, a volunteer coach of the Linkwood Primary School team, believes the new kits can give Thorfinn's football team a sense of belonging.
"We are trying to build confidence in kids and make them part of a group," Andrew said. "This has made them more of a team and Thorfinn raising the money was such a help.
"We arrive on the pitch together and represent Linkwood. It was a shame not having strips so it has given them a sense of belonging
"It was a big challenge for his little legs but he did absolutely brilliantly – and I never doubted him with how hard he trains.
"It's not only the kids now that he has helped, it is future generations too. We are very proud of him."
As a mark of recognition, Thorfinn's name was printed on the back of the shirts – something he is delighted with. The shirts will be worn by kids from P1 to P3.
