Girl aiming for seven million keepy-uppies to raise money for ‘Covid heroes’
A young footballer inspired by Captain Tom Moore has urged people to help her reach a target 7.1million keepy-uppies – one for every UK key worker.
Ten-year-old Imogen Papworth-Heidel is managing about 2,000 kicks a day but needs the help of others if the 7.1million mark is to be reached.
She has called upon the Great British public to help her reach the target by donating kicks and money for charity.
Players from Cambridge United have already picked up the gauntlet and Imogen, who trains with the team’s youth development academy, has decided to widen the appeal to cover nine charities she has dubbed ‘Covid heroes’.
Cambridge United head coach Mark Bonner said the idea was ‘absolutely brilliant’ with some players sending videos of their efforts to help bring the total down.
The Hauxton, Cambridgeshire, youngster was inspired by 99-year-old Captain Tom Moore, who became a symbol of national hope and pride by doing laps of his garden to raise money for the NHS workers who have put their lives on the line during the coronavirus crisis. He is nearing almost £30 million in donations, has become the oldest man to top the charts and has a growing chorus calling for him to be knighted.
Imogen’s parents, Karl and Sarah, both NHS workers, said she has now raised more than £1,600.
Imogen, who holds a personal best of 63 consecutive kicks without the ball touching the ground, told the BBC: ‘My original target was 200 keepy-uppies a day and it was going to take me 97 years to do… but now I’m doing 2,000 a day.
‘We would like people to get involved and send keepy-uppies so I can add it to the total.’
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