Shortly after finishing, to loud cheers from family, friends and supporters, he admitted it was the hardest thing he had ever done.
Rather than immediately sitting down, however, he thanked everyone for their support, saying that those who had run with him at different times throughout the 24 hours had helped to keep him going, as had the very reason for taking on such a challenge – to raise money for the Jersey charity Words and Numbers Matter.
‘Thanks very much once again – it was because of your support that I was able to achieve it,’ he said at the Pétanque Club headquarters which the club allowed him to use as his base and where his son Rex slept as he ran through the night.
‘There were some dark times, but it was the people joining me and putting in the effort to help me and also the great work done by Word and Numbers Matter for children and adults that made the difference.’
He thanked in particular his small ‘admin crew’, including wife Jo, who stayed up for the whole 24 hours to provide food and drinks and to ensure he had everything he needed.
Bryce’s 122-mile challenge began at noon on Saturday when, after recent mild weather, the wind increased and the temperature dropped.
He said that his inspiration was the work done by Words and Numbers Matter, a charity which he became aware of after his wife attended a talk by its founder, Sally Gallichan, at Barclays Bank, where Jo works as a mortgage adviser.
Jo and other members of staff became involved with the charity and Bryce, an estate agent with Wilson Estates, realised how much of a difference its work could make to people’s lives.
He has raised £2,237 so far, although donations are still coming in and can still be made by going to the Words and Numbers Matter charity on the Association of Jersey Charities website, or by emailing Bryce at bryce@wilsons.je or phoning him on 07797 857015.
- LAUNCHED in 2013, Words and Numbers Matter runs initiatives which support local people of all ages to improve literacy and numeracy skills while increasing awareness of the importance of improving education in the Island.
- The charity received awards from Barclays at the 2014 and 2015 Barclays Community Awards to develop its Learn Achieve Believe project, which helps young Islanders make the transition from education to employment.
- Volunteers lead weekly sessions at Jersey Library covering skills such as writing job applications, understanding job adverts, letter writing and money management. As well as focusing on important life skills the volunteers aim to develop the self-belief and motivation that young people need to succeed in the workplace. The sessions also give children the chance to develop numeracy and literacy skills, which are essential for their future prospects.
- The charity also runs workshops at the Broad Street branch of Barclays every Friday from 4 pm to 5pm which cover maths and English.
