Bournemouth family take on fundraiser in memory of army dad

Widow Emylie Jennings and her two sons have raised more than £2,500 for two armed forces charities in memory of Captain Tomasz ‘Tom’ Jennings, who was killed while on tour after the vehicle he was travelling in went over a landmine on December 22, 2011.

His sons, Christopher and Oliver, were just three years and 19 months old respectively at the time.

Now aged 13 and 11, Christopher and Oliver along with their mother have embarked on a year-long fundraising campaign, consisting of 10 different challenges and culminating with a virtual auction taking place on the anniversary of Tom’s death.

The late Captain Tom Jennings with his sons Oliver and Christopher

The fundraising events have to date raised more than £2,500 which will be split equally between two charities. First is Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity which has offered support to Christopher and Oliver and the Special Boat Service Association (SBSA).

To ensure family and friends of all ages were able to join in and pay their tribute to Tom, Emylie organised events ranging from The Jurassic Coast Challenge and The Great South Run to an indoor skydive, which Christopher and Oliver took part in, and a badminton fundraiser.

Emylie also giving up alcohol for 100 days and Christopher is giving up social media for the same period.

The final fundraising event is a virtual auction, taking place on December 22, and is open for bidding.

Bournemouth mum Emylie said: “This year marks 10 years since Tom was taken from us, and we couldn’t think of a better way to mark his anniversary than by organising events that we knew he would have loved to get involved in.

“I can’t quite believe that we’re now coming to the end. We’ve done a lot better than I thought we would and I’m so incredibly proud of what the boys have achieved, they’ve both given it their all. I really couldn’t be prouder, and I know Tom would be too.”

Visit app.galabid.com/associationshop to register and take part in the virtual auction.