Ipswich brothers raise more than £4,000 in padel challenge

Why it matters: Charlie and Tommy Hughes, 24 and 25, took on the "gruelling" marathon at The Warehouse in Ipswich, raising £4,127 for The Akwaaba Foundation.

The charity provides school funding, daily sports, healthcare and opportunities to thrive for more than 250 children a day.

The big picture: Charlie lives in Accra in Ghana himself, supporting the charity full-time following a previous career in finance. He described the charity's work as "Inspiring, rewarding and impactful".

"The size of the organisation is small, with no management and directors, but the size of its impact is vast – helping more than 250 children everyday," he said.

"People don't realise the impact of their donation – as little as £1 will make such a difference because the money goes to the correct places.

"From seeing the work Akwaaba does everyday, I wanted to give back and be part of their ten year anniversary."

What they're saying: Tommy, a former Ipswich Town football player who now plays for Bury Town, said: "I went out to Ghana in May for three weeks to visit my brother and see the work he has been doing.

"From supporting children to be able to afford to attend school and sports, to building a family a new home after theirs was washed away in the torrential rain, the money raised will help change so many families' lives for the better."

Tommy said he started playing padel three years ago, instantly "catching the bug"

"We're now a few days after the challenge. I'm still in pain and walking like a 70-year-old, but to be able to raise money for such an incredible charity has been worth every bit of effort and pain." he said.

The bottom line: Eighteen hours of padel later, two Ipswich brothers have turned a physical challenge into thousands of pounds for children in Ghana.

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