Childhood friends organise fundraising Christmas Tree Festival

Harrison Chalmers-Norris, 14, Tom Warburton, 15, and Alice Marik, 15, have been friends since they were around four years old.

The childhood friends met at pre-school in Birchwood, and have been inseparable ever since, deciding to join their local Beaver Unit two years later.

As they got older, they continued to progress from Beavers, to Cubs, to Scouts before starting Explorers in Culcheth.

Harrison and Tom, who attend Birchwood High School, and Alice, who attends Culcheth High School, spend a lot of time together, and their families have become close friends.

Between them, the teens need to raise £4,470 in order to go on the trip with the Scouts to the Azores.

When the trip was announced, the trio took it upon themselves to begin fundraising the money needed to go, rather than ask their parents.

The main thing the trio decided to do to help fundraise the money was to walk the distance from Warrington to the Azores – which is a whopping 1,544 miles.

The teens started their trek earlier in the year and now only have 192 miles remaining.

The teens are childhood best friends (Image: Supplied)So far, the trio are more than halfway to their fundraising goal and are looking to try and increase this with their next fundraiser.

“They have received so much support and some amazingly generous donations and are now over half-way to reaching their target which is absolutely amazing,” said Charlotte, Harrison’s mum.

“They have worked so hard on their fundraising journey, and we couldn't be prouder of the three of them.”

On December 7, the teens will be holding a Christmas Tree Festival at Birchwood Community High School.

“Not only are they hoping will raise them some funds towards their trip, but that it will be a community event that will help local businesses, charities and organisations promote themselves to the local community,” said Charlotte.

Christmas trees will be decorated to help businesses and charities showcase themselves to the community and can be explored between 12pm until 5pm.

“We are all very much looking forward to the day and seeing all the different Christmas trees,” said Charlotte.

“If all goes well at the event it could be the perfect end to their fundraising journey so they can then focus on their upcoming GCSEs next year.”

Live music, face painting and a handcrafted gift stall will also be available to browse during the day.

Entry is £1 per person, and groups including two adults and three children can enter for £3.