Getting fit and raising money

A stocky 39-year-old tattooed skinhead with a strong south Bristol accent greeted me in the Thali Cafe. The son of an army sergeant, Scott Wright was not your typical disability campaigner.

The amateur boxer and avid Bristol City fan runs the Darren Wright Foundation, a charity which challenges people to raise money for disabled young people.

The foundation has successfully raised £60,000 for Oscar Pycroft to have an operation, and continues to raise funds for other great causes. We had a chat. I had a coffee, he had a peppermint tea.

Darren was diagnosed with his disability after he was born

1. What does the Darren Wright Foundation do?

It has two parts. Firstly, we offer a vehicle and mechanism for families with disabled children to directly fundraise. Secondly, we take on the fundraising responsibility for those families who seek specialist equipment or operations. We have raised money for many young people in the city, the highest profile one being Oscar, but also ran the Hope for Morgan campaign, and many others. We do this through a variety of means, but primarily through active events such as cycle challenges, walks, boxing events, and even sky dives.

2. Who is the foundation named after and why?

It is named after my brother Darren who was born disabled. He is my guiding force, and my hero. Our family had fundraised for him throughout his life. My first fundraiser was at the age of 11 when I helped to organise a race night. I have been doing this ever since, and named the foundation in his name because he continues to inform and inspire us every day.

3. Why did you decide to set it up?

Ever since I started seriously fundraising for my brother in my early 20s I got a little bit fed up with linking with charities where a lot of the money raised went to cover costs, admin fees, and stuff like that and didn’t think that the right people were getting the right money. I wanted to set something up where every penny goes directly to young people. Not a penny we are given goes on any additional costs. All extra money we may need for organising events comes from sponsorship. I claim nothing in wages nor expenses from any donations we receive, which in this day and age is very rare.

4. What is different and unique about the organisation?

We call ourselves an empathetic organisation, which means I have direct experience of all the issues that families go through. When I walk through the door I am immediately comfortable and feel natural in the environment. Some people are still feel slightly nervous around people with disabilities. They sometimes over compensate or patronise without even realising. I am a natural as I have lived with it all my life. I’d like to think that the families sense this, and that is why more and more are coming forward to work with us.

 5.  What impact did your brother Darren’s condition have on your family and you as an individual growing up?

Obviously a lot of stress for mum and dad. When my brother was first diagnosed after he was born my dad was in the army stationed in Berlin and he had to come out of the forces because there wasn’t any care back then. So in the early 70s he had to come back to the UK and start fresh. He had to change careers and work incredibly hard because my mum was at home looking after Darren.

Personally, it didn’t really affect me that much, I spent a lot of time with him in his room and I just loved it. I loved spending time with him. The only thing that bothered me was in late 80s when disability was perceived differently and we used to get a lot of stares and that annoyed me.

 6. If there is any such thing as the average looking charity fundraiser do you fit into the bracket?

Definitely not. I don’t look like one, I don’t sound like one, which you can tell by the deep south Bristol accent. I like a bit of rough and tumble, I like to get in a boxing ring, and am covered from head to toe in tattoos. It’s not what people expect when I arrange a meeting with potential corporate sponsors! They are always slightly taken aback by my appearance and demeanour. But that’s kind of the point of all this, you can be anyone, it takes all types. I am attracting a lot of local, working-class people to get involved in fundraising, which they may never have thought to do before.

 Darren and Scott boxing together

 7. You use sport primarily to raise funds, why is that?

The great thing about what we do is we offer an opportunity to challenge yourself physically, and I am passionate about sport and its benefits. But rather than just going to the gym, you are raising money for a good cause, feeling great for doing so, and getting fit all at the same time. I have done it myself, and it’s amazing for your confidence. So if people want to take on a challenge, it can also improve their personal lives as well. One guy in fact lost around four stone throughout his boxing challenge and now trains four times a week after not setting foot in a gym for around 20 years.

8. What kind of challenges have you done & if somebody wanted to raise money but didn’t feel confident or fit enough, how would you encourage them?

I’ve done and am doing five things on my bucket list this year. I did the walk to Wembley from Ashton Gate, boxing and cage fight, skydive, a bungee jump – even though I am scared of heights, and a Lands End to John O’Groats bike ride in September. If I can do it anyone can.

Do something that pushes you past your comfort zone. Get off your sofa. You don’t have to go to a big corporate gym or whatever, get on your bike or go for a swim or do something that challenges you. That’s what I did. It’s best to do something that you want to do yourself. So if it is on your bucket list for instance, and you are doing it for charity, it’s double the motivation.

 Darren meeting Noel Edmunds

 10. What challenge do you have coming up?

We have a lot and anyone can get involved. We have a big boxing event called Rookie to Rocky at Ashton Gate stadium on September 5. A number of local people have been training and fundraising for this and will be fighting. We urge people to come and watch. There is also another Fight 2night event on September 12 at Kingsweston sport centre called Mashed Promotions.

The most exciting and challenging event, however, has to be the Lands End to John O’Groats cycle challenge which starts at the end of September. There is still time to get involved – and to raise awareness of what we are doing we are releasing a charity music single with local singer Darren Sims. Finally, as we are branching a little into music events so we have a charity concert with everyone’s favourite local band The Wurzels at Action Indoor Sports Centre on October 31. These are all events that will go directly to supporting young people with disabilities. However, if anyone has an idea for anything they would like to do then just contact us, it can be anything, we are happy to support.

 11. Where do you see Darren Wright Foundation in 20 Years and what kind of legacy do you want to leave?

Well because of the profile of what we have been doing, we have already started to attract families from outside Bristol, such as Northern Ireland, Surrey, Essex and Yorkshire, for example. Our reputation is spreading so we are ever expanding. But, to be honest, all I really want to leave is a charity that will help as many kids as possible get what they need.

That is what some people did for my brother back in the day, they raised money for him and I want the Darren Wright Foundation to be a vehicle so that other families can help their kids get benefit from that too. It could be equipment, operations, even a holiday fitted out with right medical equipment, doesn’t matter if it’s unaffordable we will do our best to raise it for them. A specialist bed for example costs £3,000 and that’s a lot of money for families where only one parent is able to go work and there are many other expenses.

To find out more or get involved with the Darren Wright Foundation go to the website: www.darrenwrightfoundation.org.uk