Hatton Park's self-confessed 'mad fool' named Fundraiser of the Year

Hatton Park’s very own self-confessed ‘mad fool’ Stuart Kettell has been named as Fundraiser of the Year at the Pride of Birmingham awards.
Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.
Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.

Stuart, 54, has taken on a wild variety of challenges over a period of more than 10 years to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and since 2006 he has raised more than £54,000.

Stuart said: “The award came out of the blue. I was not expecting it and I don’t know who put me forward for it.

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“I have previously been awarded the Pride of Coventry award in 2013.

Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.
Left: Vicky and Stuart Kettell with the award, top right: Stuart receiving his award and bottom right: Stuart in his bathtub bike. Photo supplied.

“The Pride of Birmingham awards were such a star-studded event and Chris Tarrant gave me my award. I also got to meet the Birmingham City manager and the Phelps boys who were in Harry Potter.

“They showed all of my challenges in the video and it was a bit surreal seeing them all. I am now in the running for the Pride of Britain awards in October, which I always watch.

“You got to meet other fundraisers too and it was so inspiring to see their stories.”

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Over the years Stuart has completed dozens of high-profile sponsored stunts, which has earned him the nickname The Mad Fool. Previous challenges include running the London Marathon, pushing a sprout up Mount Snowdon with his nose, being suspended in a box 25 feet above the ground for a week and popping 10,000 balloons with a pogo stick.

Other challenges include spending seven days in a green leprechaun suit while being held up in the air by helium balloons, running seven marathons in seven days in a giant hamster wheel and cycling from Land’s End to John o’ Groats on a penny farthing.

Stuart took a two- year break from his fundraising after being diagnosed with a leaking mitral valve to his heart and severe hypertension. Following an operation in 2017 he was back on the fundraising.

In 2018 he took on a 1,000-mile trip across Britain in a pedal-powered bathtub.

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Setting his sights to the future Stuart is aiming to get to £100,000 and is now taking on the challenge of collecting one million pennies – which is £10,000 – by the end of 2019. He said: “Anyone can help with this challenge and they can also challenge me to do challenges for donations.”

For more information about Stuart's one million penny challenge or to get involved click here