Meet Paige

Our wonderful Youth worker Paige tells us about her experience of working for Challengers, and fundraising for a cause she’s passionate about.

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I started working for Challengers in 2017, where I joined Petersfield Youth as a Youth Worker. After starting my year out between college and university, I was working at my local Pizza Express and soon realised that I wasn’t being challenged in the way that I needed…

Four and bit years on, I’ve worked at three different Challengers schemes, and taken part in fundraising to help raise money for the charity during three of those four years!

In 2020, I started the 2.6 Challenge to raise funds to save Petersfield Youth – the scheme I first worked at. I’m a keen artist, so I had the idea of selling 26 pieces of original artwork for £26 each. With all the pieces selling in just eight weeks, I managed to raise £706 – all of which went directly to Challengers – and was well over my original fundraising target!

I also donated several pieces of my art to be auctioned in the Annual Challengers Art Auction, bringing my total amount of money raised to just under £1,000! Knowing first-hand what this money can provide for disabled young people across the South East made the fundraising so worth it and fun, and it’s definitely something I would do again in the future.

During my time working at Challengers I met some truly incredible young people, who taught me a lot about friendship; patience, courage, and how to land a joke perfectly! The charity, and its mission, holds a special place in my heart and I wish to continue to support the charity where possible.

I’m pleased to share that I’ve now graduated from the University of Leicester with a first class degree in Sociology, and run my own art business providing art workshops, selling original work, and offering bespoke commissions.

I’ll always look back on my time at Challengers with very fond memories.