Photo credit: Paul Nicholls Photography
Recently, Cotswold Wildlife Park welcomed inspirational young fundraiser, George Andrews, to the Park. He is raising money for Midlands Air Ambulance—the service that saved his grandfather’s life. In April, George completed a Rubik’s Cube challenge in just 67 seconds, raising hundreds of pounds for the charity. It was one of many fundraising events he and his younger brother Alfie have undertaken in support of the cause.
George and Alfie, both passionate wildlife fans, were brought to the Park’s attention by their mother, Tara, who contacted the team about bringing her boys to the Wildlife Park as a reward for their fundraising achievements. Head of Reptiles, Megan Howard, said: “After hearing about George and Alfie’s Give Back Challenge, we decided to organise a special activity for them. Knowing what a Rubik’s Cube fan George is, we created an “Eat vs Complete” challenge between 10-year-old George and our 90-year-old Giant Tortoise, also named George. We made an edible Rubik’s Cube using foods from the Giant Tortoise’s natural diet, including carrot and butternut squash. The challenge would see who finished first—Giant Tortoise George or young George!”
Photo credit: Paul Nicholls Photography
The Park’s much-loved Giant Tortoise (pictured above with George Andrews) was keen to tuck into his edible Rubik’s Cube, but George managed to beat his namesake, completing the challenge in an impressive 66 seconds. His competitor took things a little slower, finishing in just under five minutes. George said: “I can’t believe they actually made a Rubik’s Cube out of vegetables for Giant Tortoise George — that was so cool! Today was really fun and I loved taking part in the challenge”.
George’s mother, Tara, commented: “As parents, we are incredibly proud of both George and Alfie. Seeing the kindness, confidence and determination they put into helping others means the world to us. Today was such a special experience and the team at Cotswold Wildlife Park went above and beyond to make it unforgettable for the boys”.
Alfie added: “We’re doing this because Midlands Air Ambulance helped save our grandad’s life. George and I wanted to help raise money back for them because they help lots of people really quickly when they’re hurt or poorly. We also want to make fundraising fun so more people want to join in and help too”.
Photo credit: Paul Nicholls Photography
The challenge attracted quite a crowd. Cheering from the sidelines were 93-year-old Evelyn Smith and Pat Baxter, aged 101, (both pictured above) from The Lakes Care Centre in Cirencester, who happened to be visiting for the day. After the competition, they got to meet their favourite animal at the Park.
George and Alfie’s Give Back fundraising page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/cubechallenge
Additional information:
- Midlands Air Ambulance Charity receives no government funding. Its annual running costs are around £20 million, funded entirely through donations. It responds to between 4,000 and 4,500 emergency call-outs each year.
- The life-saving charity has seen costs soar recently due to the conflict in Iran, with fuel prices having doubled since the hostilities began.
- The charity operates one of England’s largest air ambulance services, covering Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands.
- Giant Tortoise George is the Park’s oldest resident at 90 years old. He has been at the Park since the day it opened in 1970. He shares his large enclosure overlooking the Gothic Manor House with Giant Tortoises Sheldon and Darwin.
The edible Rubik’s Cube was created by twins Sophie and Lucy Riley (pictured left) from the Park’s Catering team. Taking over two hours to make, it was crafted from carrots, butternut squash, cabbage, bell peppers and cucumber, while the cube was held together using a paste made from mashed bananas. The twins designed and carved the masterpiece in their spare time. Both said George and Alfie’s fundraising efforts were inspirational.