The heat is on! Peterborough residents challenged to walk on hot coals for charity backed by Warwick Davis

Supporters of a local young people’s charity have been challenged to hot foot over to Peterborough Rugby Club on Friday October 6 and face their fears by walking across hot coals.

The family Firewalk evening has been organised by the Young People’s Counselling Service (YPCS) to help raise crucial funds.

The charity provides free confidential counselling to children and young people within the local area who are experiencing emotional difficulty.

Samantha Ronnay, the charity’s business support lead, said the firewalk will be “a big family evening event with live music, hog roast, face painters and other entertainment.”

She acknowledged that money is still very tight for everyone at the moment and, as such, “fundraising in this economic climate is increasingly challenging.”

“But we hope fun family events like our firewalk will give supporters new and old the chance to get together and help us make a difference to young lives.”

YPCS has been doing invaluable work supporting young people in crisis across our region for 29 years. It is thought around 34,000 children and young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are currently living with a mental health disorder.

Local film and TV celebrities Warwick and Annabelle Davis are proud to be YPCS patrons.

“They do amazing work for young people within the community who might otherwise have been neglected by the system,” said actor and presenter, Warwick. “Young people today face more challenges in life than any generation to date, and YPCS will be there to support them.”.

Warwick’s daughter and CBBC actress Annabelle said she is “honoured to support YPCS.”

The 26-year-old star of ‘The Dumping Ground’ explained why she believed being young is so difficult in the 21st century:

“The media’s influence on young people today makes growing up far more challenging,” she said.

“Judgemental social media promotes ideas of perfection,” she added, “instilling ideas of inadequacy and causing anxiety in young people through no fault of their own.”

The firewalk will be held at Peterborough Rugby Club, Second Drove, Fengate at 6.30pm. Anyone wishing to donate can do so at the charity event’s JustGiving page.