Hi, my name is Jaden Thompson & I am 15 years old. Some of you may know my story from last year but for those of you that don’t, here is a brief overview –

I train with the East Area Thai/Kickboxing club in Bedford and have done for the last 11 years. October 2017 saw me qualify to compete in the 2018 ISKA World Kickboxing Championships in Montego Bay Jamaica. Being a 2x Bronze medalist in the 2017 World Championships, I wanted to better myself and win Gold for my country in 2018.

Kickboxing is a non-funded sport so I had to do everything I could to raise funds to get me to Jamaica. With my parents help, I decided to collect and recycle Christmas trees. The support I got from the local community was overwhelming, with 134 trees collected and many donations to my fundraising.

I knew then that I had to deliver at the Championships as a massive thank you to my supporters. I am pleased to say that I came home with another Bronze medal and two World titles bringing back two Gold Medals.

This year I wanted to give something back to the community to show my appreciation for their support and belief in me. So I will once again be collecting and recycling Christmas trees, this time all proceeds will be split between the below charities who I believe need as much support and fundraising as possible - you never know when you may be affected with mental health issues or find yourself in a homeless situation. The charities I will be supporting are www.mind-blmk.org.uk. and www.kingsarmsproject.org

Mind BLMK support local people in the communities of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes with the KingsArms Project helping the homeless in Bedford

I’d be grateful if you can please help me to give something back to two very worthy charities.

Thank you Jaden T