16-year-old Jacob Reddy decided to use his summer holidays to busk in every city in England – all 51 of them – to raise money for a charity that looked after his brother.

He performed in all weathers, with big audiences and small ones – and managed to raise nearly £10,000 in the process. 

Jacob was raising money for Derian House, a Chorley-based children’s hospice that provides respite and end-of-life care to more than 400 babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions.  It was the hospice where his brother, Joseph, received regular care. 

Joseph contracted meningitis when he was one month old, and the infection left his brain severely damaged. Joseph would have been 21 this year, so Jacob and his family wanted to mark the occasion in a special way. 

We speak to Jacob about his tour – the reaction he got, the money he raised, and how he felt. 

CHAPTER MARKERS:
1.17: Why I wanted to do this challenge
2.55: Preparing for the road trip
4.00: Notable moments while busking
5.56: Inspiration behind the challenge
6.57: The impact for Derian House charity
8.00: Further fundraising after the challenge
10.02: Advice for others
14.11: The best songs of the trip
15.23: The finish line
16.27: What’s next for Jacob?
17.29: What does defiant optimism mean to you?
18.43: Where to find out more

Support the charity: https://www.derianhouse.co.uk/
Donate to Jacob's fundraising page: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/buskingjacob
Follow Jacob and his music: https://www.facebook.com/jacobreddymusic/