Teenagers ditch their tech for 24 hours raising hundreds for hospice
Girls go tech-free for St Elizabeth Hospice. One of the hospice supporters, Lucie Jenkins, 15, and her two friends are going tech-free for 24 hours. They will be starting on Valentine's Day and will officially be putting down their phones and other gadgets. Lucie wanted to support St Elizabeth after her mum died at the hospice last year. Left to right, Emma Colston, Lucie Jenkins and Lucy Gardner. Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
Three teenagers are challenging themselves to stay off their smart phones, tablets, TVs and gadgets for a day to raise money for St Elizabeth Hospice.
Lucie Jenkins, 15, whose mother Briony passed away at the hospice last year, wanted to say thank you for the care she received so decided to set herself a difficult challenge.
Along with friends Lucy Gardner and Emma Colston, who all go to Royal Hospital School in Ipswich, Lucie has locked away all her tech – meaning no Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter for 24 hours.
Lucie said it was going to be a very frustrating day. “We put all our phones and iPads in a box,” said Lucie.
“It is going to be really difficult because our lives revolve around social media.
“24 hours seems a very long time right now. I’ll miss them all, my iphone, my ipad, my Kindle – we can’t listen to music either.
“The hospice made my mum very happy, I wanted to say thank you and raise some money for them.”
Most Read
- 1 See inside £1.65m Ipswich home with swimming pool and games room
- 2 Ipswich girl with cyst on brain struggling to get diagnosis
- 3 7 things around Ipswich which are among the best in the country
- 4 Police carry out 'pre-planned' operation in Felixstowe road
- 5 New 99-room Ipswich Travelodge expected to open next year
- 6 Suffolk's top 10 fish and chip shops as voted by our readers - now pick a winner
- 7 Notcutts submit detailed plans for 14 homes on the edge of Ipswich
- 8 Ipswich MP renews support for food van fighting council's plans
- 9 5 new places to eat and drink in Woodbridge this year
- 10 7 roadworks for drivers in Suffolk to be aware of this week
To keep themselves entertained, the trio have come up with a host of games to play that don’t require batteries or an electrical plug.
She said: “We are going to play the chubby bunny challenge where we put as many marshmallows in our mouths as we can and try to say ‘chubby bunnies’.
“We are also playing the tin can challenge where we get tins and rip the labels off and number them and have to eat what is inside. We will have three nice ones and six horrible ones.
“The nice ones have fruit in them, pears and pineapples and the horrible ones have Spam, mackerel, cold baked beans and sardines.”
So far the trio have raised almost £920 of their £1,500 target.
Felicity Rook, head of fundraising at the hospice, said: “It’s so lovely to see Lucie with her friends at the hospice as she begins her fundraising.
“She’s really gained in confidence since we first spoke about the challenge and I know it’s going to be difficult for them all to give up their gadgets.
“It would be lovely for them to be able to go online after their challenge is over to see how much they’ve raised. This money will then be used to help other families like hers while they are with us.”
To donate visit http://giving.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/lucieemmalucytechfree24