Will you be the one who gets Sheffield’s 'Captain Tobias’ to £150,000?

In March, nine-year-old Tobias Weller, who has cerebral palsy and autism, began walking on the streets around his Sheffield home with the initial aim of raising just £500.

Now, two whole marathons and several TV appearances later, ‘Captain Tobias’ as he became known in honour of inspirational WWII veteran Tom Moore, is less than £800 short of raising an astonishing £150,000.

Tobias’s mum Ruth said raising such a huge amount for charity was a ‘surreal experience’, but that the experience of the last few months has been an immensely positive one for him.

She said: “His attitude towards using his walker has changed massively and he is just so much more confident at speaking to people.

“He just loves doing things that help other children and if he can get the clapping and cheering at the same time that is perfect for him. As he always says he is chuffed to bits!”

Ruth said Tobias has recently been told no other fundraiser has raised as much for the charity which supports Sheffield Children’s Hospital in such a short period of time.

He hopes that at least some of the money he has raised for the hospital can go to Ryegate Children’s Centre, where he goes for treatment, with the other half going towards a new home for his school - Paces in High Green.

His fundraising has also seen him become an ambassador for sportswear manufacturer Converse and a part of the England Lionheart squad alongside Captain Tom, who raised £32m for the NHS at the beginning of lockdown.

Ruth said Tobias had decided to close his Just Giving page when he reaches £150,000, but might continue his fundraising on a trike bought by Sheffield firm Jiraffe.

“What we need to get to the £150,000 is actually more than our original target so it just shows how much our expectations have changed,” said Ruth.

“But the money has slowed down quite a lot now so we felt that it was time to move onto new things.”

To get Tobias over the line, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ruth-garbutt-3.

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