Chichester boy raises over £1,000 in fundraiser run for Surfers Against Sewage

The event took place on Friday, February 16 and saw 50 people in total take part to raise funds for Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). Over the last 30 years, SAS has grown into one of the UK’s most successful marine conservation and campaigning charities and describes itself as a ‘voice for the sea’.

Loftus and his dad Dave Skinner enjoy surfing and ended up raising a total of £1,050 with the event. Dave Skinner said: “Loftus is a keen surfer and we live on the South coast, so SAS is great for us to support.

"He loves his running to and so do I. We’d been looking at doing this with a backyard ultra, which is a worldwide event where people run four-mile loops on the hour for as many hours as possible.

“He’s also on his charity committee at school and pushed this event as an idea. He ended up getting some of his pals and their parents involved. Everyone was in great spirits on the day, the weather wasn’t the best at the beginning but managed a good turnout.

"We had balloons, flags, t-shirts and more. Everyone we passed enjoyed the vibes we were putting out, and we were also able to raise awareness about the pollution in the sea as well.”

There was also a cake sale that fuelled the runners, put on by Loftus’ sister, Tiggy Skinner. The winner Jamie Simmons ran 38km, which is just 4km short of a full marathon!