Hiking against cruelty
341. Rosie Cleave
Rosie Cleave, a retired teacher from Huddersfield who has dedicated 58 years of her life to NSPCC and raised over £100,000 for the charity.
Rosie, 64, started volunteering when she was just a child, helping her mother fundraise for the Church of England’s Children’s Society before becoming involved with NCPCC’s ‘League of Pity’ in 1958. Rosie has dedicated thousands of hours over the last five decades fundraising and volunteering with the NSPCC and has been involved in the charity’s ‘Hike Against Cruelty to Kids’ (HACK) campaign. This campaign alone has raised over £450,000 for NSPCC, and Rosie has individually raised over £100,000 and has participated in every single hike.
Rosie is an active fundraiser – from organising car boot sales, coffee mornings and summer fairs to sponsored treks in Peru and Nepal. Rosie also incredibly climbed Mount Everest in 2001, raising more than £7,500 and continued this year by trekking 26 miles through the Peruvian mountains, raising a further £9,000.
Rosie has ensured that there are NSPCC collection tins in almost every shop, pub and restaurant in Huddersfield and has also dedicated hundreds of hours giving talks about fundraising activities to the local community encourage others to take part. She has become a true powerhouse for the NSPCC in Huddersfield and has inspired hundreds to fundraise to help keep children safe.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
“Rosie has given over half a century of service to the NSPCC, both raising money and awareness for its vital work. But even more impressive than climbing Everest and trekking through Peru to raise thousands of pounds herself is the work Rosie has done to enable others to raise money. With the Hike Against Cruelty to Kids, Rosie has enabled hundreds of people to get involved and raise nearly half a million pounds for the NSPCC. I am delighted to recognise her service with the UK’s 341st Point of Light.”
Rosie said:
“I am overwhelmed and honoured to have been picked for this award and it’s so nice to share it with the NSPCC. The NSPCC do wonderful work helping to ensure that children can look forward to a future free from neglect and abuse. It is for those children that i have dedicated all of these hours of my time.”
Helen Verity of the NSPCC said:
“Rosie has so much energy and enthusiasm for her charity work, which, in turn, motivates and inspires those around her. She’s an amazing role model and a huge asset to the NSPCC. Her influence reaches across Yorkshire and beyond’.