Aspiring pilot, 10, who raised £160,000 for charity wins Pride of Britain award

Jacob Newson, an RAF enthusiast, has raised thousands for charity since he lost his mother to breast cancer.

Jacob Newson receiving his young fundraiser of the year award at the Pride of Britain awards (Andy Stenning/Rowan Griffiths /PA)

A 10-year-old has said his mother would be “filling heaven up” with her tears after he won a Pride of Britain award for raising more than £160,000 for charity in her memory.

Jacob Newson, from Leeds, was seven years old when his mother Andrea died with breast cancer aged 49 in December 2020.

Since then, Jacob and his father Andrew have completed several fundraising expeditions both in the UK and abroad, raising more than £160,000 for St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds, which looked after his mother, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) Benevolent Fund – which provides lifelong support to serving and ex-serving RAF personnel and their families.

Nicknamed Jacob the Pilot because of his love of planes and flying, the youngster’s efforts were recently recognised at the 25th Pride of Britain Awards, where he won the Good Morning Britain young fundraiser of the year award.

“I’m really excited, happy and proud of myself to win this award,” Jacob told the PA news agency.

“My mummy would be filling heaven up with water, with her tears.”

Mr Newson, an ambulance practitioner with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, told PA: “When Andrea was alive, because of the nature of my job, she kind of took the role as the main parent.

“So when she passed away, it was a whole new learning curve.

“I had to reset and be a dad and mum all at the same time.”

The 56-year-old armed forces veteran, who served in Iraq, Bosnia and Kosovo, said their adventures have been a “massive healing process” for the pair, because they get to spend time away from the city.

The father-son duo have completed several charity challenges in recent years, from climbing Ben Nevis and finishing the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to tackling the highest peak in North Africa, Mount Toubkal in Morocco.

In August, the adventurous pair finished a four-day trek across the Pyrenees from France to Spain.

Jacob has also been able to explore his passion for aviation over the years.

He has flown in an RAF aircraft over the North Sea after a visit to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire earlier this year.

The youngster has also worked with the RAF Regiment to complete an assault course at their base in Honington, Suffolk, in 2022.

A spokesperson for St Gemma’s Hospice told PA: “Since caring for Jacob’s mum Andrea in 2020, Jacob has not only made a significant financial impact on our hospice through his fundraising but has also inspired countless others in our community.

Jacob embodies the spirit of compassion and resilience we see so often in the families we care for, he has demonstrated that age is never a barrier to making a difference

St Gemma’s Hospice spokesperson

“He recently helped us to open a brand new facility for children and young people just like him, grappling with the difficult experience of losing a loved one, a very special day indeed.

“Jacob embodies the spirit of compassion and resilience we see so often in the families we care for, he has demonstrated that age is never a barrier to making a difference.”

Ben Alonso, director of fundraising at the RAF Benevolent Fund, told PA: “It’s heartwarming to see that Jacob’s passion for all things RAF remains sky-high – all of us at the fund are incredibly grateful for Jacob’s support and congratulate him on his well-deserved win.”

A judging panel selected the winners from a shortlist after tens of thousands of public nominations were received.

The Pride of Britain Awards ceremony will be shown on ITV1 at 8pm on Thursday.