Doing it for Derek

28/02/2026

Final update for month one of Doing It for Derek!

We’re on the final day of Feb and I’ve officially finished the challenge!! 111km ran, walked and jogged and thanks to all the kind donations; together we’ve raised £370 with £50 in Gift Aid for Great Ormond Street Hospital!!!

I genuinely don’t have the words to fully express how grateful I am. What started as something very personal to me, and honestly pretty daunting, has been met with so much kindness, encouragement, generosity, and support. Donations, shares, messages, people joining me on my journey, every single bit of it meant more than I can properly say.

Knowing that this money helps fund things like specialist equipment, research, and the extra support that makes hospital stays a little less overwhelming for seriously ill children and their families made every cold, muddy, chaotic kilometre feel purposeful.

This was the first month of Doing It for Derek, and I feel incredibly proud to have actually followed through. 111km later, and with many reflective walks, i also a feel real sense of achievement and something positive built out of something tragic.

Alongside raising money for GOSH, I’ve also been working towards raising funds for my dad’s headstone, which remains the heart behind all of this. So many kind and generous people have donated and I’m already at an incredible £650!!!!!!

Thank you, truly, to every single person who supported, donated, shared, or simply followed along. You made something that could have felt very lonely feel supported and meaningful. 🤍

As per usual I’ve linked below incase anyone has the means or is inclined to continue donating! Month 1 down, 10 more to go!! 🫶🏼

💙 100k for February (GOSH):
https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/hollyyoung

🤍 GoFundMe:
https://gofund.me/4ab982213

22/02/2026

Little update from Doing It for Derek now that we’re nearing the end of Feb and getting closer to the end of month 1! 🤍

With 6 days left of the challenge, I’m only £80 away from my fundraising target for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and just 25km to go until I hit 110km!

I honestly don’t even know how to put into words how grateful I am. This is the first month of doing this, and I’ve been completely floored by the kindness, donations, shares, messages, and the people who have walked with me along the way.

What started as something very personal and difficult to me has felt so much easier with the support I’ve received and that really means more than anything.

Alongside this, I’m also raising money to finally get my dad a headstone, something my family has wanted to do for a long time, so every bit of support genuinely makes a difference.

If anyone would like to help me reach the target in these final 6 days (or even just share), I’d be so grateful 🤍

💙 GOSH Fundraiser: https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/hollyyoung

🤍 GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/4ab982213

Hi, I’m Holly. Ten years ago, I lost my dad, Derek (he’s not missing, just dead). Since then, I… Holly Young needs your support for Doing it for Derek

01/02/2026

Links below to donate for my GoFundMe and 100k in Feb challenge! 🫶🏼

https://gofund.me/e69dfed23

https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/hollyyoung

31/01/2026

Welcome to Doing It for Derek 🤍

This page is where I’ll be sharing a year of monthly challenges, starting with 100k for February, all in honour of my dad, Derek.

The challenges are part of my attempt to raise money for his headstone, while also supporting different charities and causes. Alongside that, this page is about building healthier habits, spending more time outdoors, and finding more positive ways to carry grief.

I’ll be documenting the journey as I go, all the progress, the challenges, and the moments in between and I hope this can be a space for encouragement, connection, and shared support.

If you’d like to follow along, offer support, suggest a charity or challenge, or simply be here, thank you. It truly means a lot.

If I’m going to do it, I’m doing it for Derek 🤍

Below are the links to both 100k if Feb for Great Ormond Street Hospital and Charity donations and the gofundme set up to try and raise money to pay for my dad’s headstone.

100k in Feb: https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/hollyyoung

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/e69dfed23

No donations are too small and anything and everything is appreciated, even if it’s just a like or share! 🫶🏼