Mia raises £22,361 and becomes Young Ambassador

Eleven-year-old Mia Richardson has been appointed Cornwall Care’s first Young Ambassador after raising an astonishing £22,361 for the charity.

Mia’s marathon effort began last April when she decided to spend lockdown running the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats on her family’s cross trainer.

Her original aim was to raise £500 towards the cost of an interactive magic table for residents at Blackwood House, our residential home in Camborne where her mother, Bernie, works as a carer. As the miles sped by in a daily 20km running routine, that sum was quickly surpassed as celebrities like actress Thandie Newton, physicist Professor Brian Cox and Olympians Ben Ainslie, Jo Pavey and Hannah Cockcroft voiced their support.

Now, in recognition of her extraordinary achievement, Mia has been made an official Cornwall Care Young Ambassador.

“We can’t thank Mia enough for all that she has done,” said Cornwall Care CEO Anne Thomas. “Running the equivalent of 1347 kilometres on a cross trainer is remarkable – especially at her age. She is an absolute inspiration.”

As an ambassador, Mia will be helping to raise the charity’s profile and encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.

“What she has done is amazing,” said Cornwall Care’s Head of Fundraising Jan Burns. “She has made such a difference to the life-enhancing facilities Blackwood House offers and I look forward to her taking part in several important events planned to celebrate Cornwall Care’s 25th anniversary this year.”

Mia’s parents, Bernie and Dan Richardson, are their daughter’s staunchest supporters.

"We are extremely proud of the young lady Mia is growing into,” said Bernie. “Since her early school years she has always put others first and looked to help those less fortunate. 

“With Mia's determination it comes as no surprise to us that she has managed to raise such an incredible amount of money at such a young age. 

“Here's hoping that she can continue to help out raising more funds in her role as Young Ambassador and more importantly, maybe inspire others to follow her example."