William Reckless named ‘one of the world’s most incredible fundraisers’ at the 2024 JustGiving Awards.

You may remember one of our incredible fundraisers, William Reckless, who at the age of just three, William faced a critical diagnosis of sepsis, which resulted in the amputation of both his legs and nine fingers. Despite these overwhelming challenges, William, alongside his sister Georgia, mum Gemma, and dad Michael, took on a heroic four-mile walk and cycle to raise funds for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Nottingham University Hospitals, where he had been treated during this uncertain time.

William’s fundraising had a huge impact, and he has been named ‘one of the world’s most incredible fundraisers’ at the 2024 GoCardless JustGiving Awards! This fantastic achievement highlights William's incredible journey and dedication to fundraising, supporting Nottingham Hospitals Charity after his own life-changing battle. 

William’s inspiring efforts, which have raised over £7,000 for the charity, led him to be shortlisted for the Young Fundraiser of the Year award at the JustGiving Awards. The public were invited to vote for their most inspirational fundraiser, and William’s remarkable story clearly resonated with people across the country.

Joined by his family and representatives from the charity, William travelled to London for the awards ceremony last week, where he celebrated alongside other inspiring fundraisers from across the UK. After an emotional evening, William’s name was announced as the winner of his category, sparking a standing ovation from the audience.

Beaming with pride, William took to the stage, delivering a heartfelt speech alongside mum Gemma and sister Georgia. He later shared his excitement: "I felt so surprised when they said my name, I couldn’t believe I had won. It was so exciting going on stage. I feel really proud of myself and happy I helped raise so much money. I hope it helps the hospital that saved my life."

The 2024 GoCardless JustGiving Awards celebrate the extraordinary things people can achieve when motivated by love, loss, or simply the desire to make the world a better place. William, now recognised as one of the world’s most incredible fundraisers, was honoured in the Young Fundraiser category, demonstrating that even the youngest among us can make an enormous impact. The award category shortlist judged by a star-studded panel, including Paralympian Ellie Simmonds OBE, broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts, actor Sunetra Sarker, and footballer and singer Jake Quickenden.

We are immensely proud of William for this incredible achievement, and we thank him and his family for their continued support of the hospital. If you would like to congratulate William on his amazing win and contribute to his ongoing fundraising efforts, you can donate to his JustGiving page here.