Teenage siblings to follow in Paddington’s paw prints as they gear up for Peruvian trek
A brother and sister have launched a festive appeal to bolster their fundraising coffers as they gear up to trek to Peru with one of its most famous exports by their side - Paddington Bear!
Just as Paddington embarks on a cross-continent trek to Peru in his most recent film “Paddington in Peru”, teenage siblings Laurence and Elizabeth Washbourne plan to follow in his wake in just a few months’ time.
That’s because the dynamic Staffordshire duo have signed up to take part in a three-week expedition supporting underprivileged communities in the South American republic – and all with the loveable bear in tow.
To make the 12,000-mile round trip - which looks set to be the adventure of a lifetime - a reality, the brother and sister, pictured together here on a practice hike in Scotland over the summer, must raise £8k collectively.
To bolster their appeal, the Abbotts Bromley pair are offering companies the chance to snap up a prime spot on their promotional t-shirts of all three team members. Could you spare a minimum donation of £50 from your business to help their appeal hit its target?
Justine Halifax, CEO of Angel Media PR, based in Lichfield, is the first company to have pledged support to the Abbots Bromley pair’s fundraiser.
The mother-of-two said: “It’s so heartwarming to see a teenage brother and sister join forces to achieve the rewarding goal of helping others who are less fortunate than themselves. I’m absolutely delighted to support their fundraiser and wish them all the very best in achieving their target.”
The trip will see 15-year-old Laurence and 18-year-old Elizabeth working on community development and environmental projects, as well as engaging in wildlife conservation work.
"When you live somewhere as beautiful as Staffordshire, it’s hard to imagine, without seeing it first hand, the struggles other children and families have to face," said Elizabeth, a Sixth Former at Thomas Alleyne’s in Uttoxeter, where Laurence is also a pupil.
“This expedition will help us to develop important life skills and give back to those less fortunate than ourselves, which is something Laurence and I feel very strongly about and are very passionate about,” she added.
If you would like to sponsor the caring siblings, then please email their mum Sue at suebrothwood@hotmail.com.
The pair also have a GoFundMe fundraising page if you’d prefer to make a direct contribution gofundme.com/f/peru-expedition-2025-laurence-elizabeth-washbourne.
