Rotary Young Citizen Award: inspirational Larne schoolboy honoured for epic charity walk

When Lewis Rennie’s younger brother Callum sadly passed away from cancer, Lewis knew at just six years old that he wanted to help anyone else struggling with cancer.

He decided he was going to walk 100 miles during his summer holiday to raise money for the Big C Foundation NI, the charity set up by his family in memory of Callum.

Lewis’s challenge saw him cross forests, beaches and mountains and he was well-supported by a variety of different organisations.

At the end of the walk , with his original target being to raise £250, £16,240 was presented to the Big C Foundation that has since been spent on wheelchairs, play therapy equipment and trips to Lapland for children with cancer.

Lewis, who was nominated by the Rotary Club of Larne, received his award on Saturday from two former winners, Grace O'Malley and Theodor Sergiou.

Rotarian Hazel Bell OBE commented: “Lewis is still thinking of other ways to raise funds as well as the profile of support for families living with children with cancer and he has gained a huge level of respect from the Larne and Northern Ireland community.

Similar Circumstances

“He has shown empathy with other children and families in similar circumstances and he continues to inspire in his ambition to find other challenges which will engage his community in raising funds for those who need help through difficult times.”

The Rotary Young Citizen Awards are celebrating their 16th anniversary this year. They were started in 2007 to recognise the achievements of inspirational young people across Great Britain and Ireland, many of whom have assumed important responsibilities at a very young age. Nominations are put forward by Rotary clubs.

Rotary International is a membership and humanitarian service organisation – there are over 1,500 clubs in Great Britain and Ireland with about 36,000 members. Members use their time to make a difference in their own communities and around the world.

Find out more about the Rotary Young Citizen Award winners 2023 at www.rotarygbi.org