Author: Brian Foster

Like so many of us, Nicky Lopez was saddened by Workneh’s untimely death and wanted to respond positively. Nicky is a fitness instructor who works for a number of gyms across London. He asked his employers to donate space so he could run fitness sessions with the participants making donations on his JustGiving page. (He began fundraising before WDEF had managed to open a bank account!)

He also used his extensive list of contacts and his social media followers to get sponsors for his personal challenges such as the Paris Marathon and the three peaks challenge. In May 2022, he donated £2349.53 to WDEF and set himself a new target, first £10K which he achieved after the London team triathlon, and now to £90K.

Next year Nicky hopes he will be able to visit Ethiopia, to meet some of the local activists and perhaps to do a fundraising challenge there. We are very grateful for all the work he has done so far. If you want to to join in any of Nicky’s challenges or need advice and encouragement setting up your own, you can contact him at ni***@wo*****.uk.