Coronavirus: Derbyshire siblings complete month-long garden camp

A teenage boy and his seven-year-old sister have finished a month-long camp in their garden in aid of a hospice.

Treetops Hospice Care, in Derbyshire, estimated the coronavirus lockdown will cost it £1.4m in lost fundraising.

William and Sophie Lacey from Borrowash decided to help and raised more than £2,200 by sleeping outside for the whole of April.

Despite the recent cold weather and rain getting into the tent they both completed their task.

William was "happy" to finish the month having first come up with the idea when he heard about the hospice's plight.

"It was cold sometimes and water sometimes got in from the sides but it was all good otherwise," he said.

He was joined by his seven-year-old sister who was planning to sleep out as many nights as she could but completed the whole month.

Their mother, Elizabeth Lacey, said she did have concerns when the weather changed last week.

"It has been a bit colder and wet so I was a bit more worried about whether Sophie would be a bit cold in the night.

"The other morning she did come in and her feet and hands were freezing but she was still smiling bless her," she said.

Julie Heath, chief executive of Treetops Hospice Care in Risley, said: "We are so grateful to William and Sophie for their incredible camp-out challenge and raising so much money for Treetops.

"Between them they've raised enough for the hospice to provide three more weeks of overnight nursing care for some of our most poorly patients out in the community."

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