Charity of the month

For this month’s charity pick, Beer52 is proud to sponsor Jack Fleckney’s Challenge Africa fundraiser. Being a former Royal Marine commando, ex-rugby player and world record holder, Jack is now using his supreme fitness, adventurous spirit and exceptional mental strength to raise funds that make a difference for causes that matter. 

Jack struggled throughout school, but found a love of sport and fitness early on in life. He signed for London Wasps and, at the age of 18, enrolled in the Royal Marines. Five years later, he had visited more than 20 different countries, been deployed to Afghanistan, and won ‘Fittest in the Military’, all the while representing the Royal Navy and Combined Services at rugby. 

Challenge Africa has been the most extensive and complex initiative Jack has raised funds for to date. It has required him to take on three different challenges across three African countries, with 100% of donations divided equally across the charitable goals. 

For the first challenge, Jack traveled through 500km of the Hwange National Park, the largest nature reserve in Zimbabwe, to raise funds that should allow The Cobra Squad to operate for three months. The Cobra Squad is a group of villagers all trained to protect the rare wildlife found in Zimbabwe. In these rural areas, jobs are hard to find, so financial stability not only gives locals opportunities, it also protects wildlife and stops poaching, which has seen numerous species go extinct.

Secondly, Jack climbed as many Baobab Trees as possible in 12 hours, raising funds to build an extension to the Royal Chundu School. The school was initially built for a small group of children, but with the population growing and the school’s facilities finding themselves under increasing pressure, it has only been possible for the school to cater for children up to six years old. £13,000 will allow the Royal Chundu to build an extension big enough that children in the area can stay in education until they’re eight years old.

Finally, Jack kayaked 400km of the Okavango Delta, where the Khwai Pre-School is based. This area of Botswana is unimaginably remote, which is why Mrs Caroline Mazunga has been working hard to set up a preschool for local children who would otherwise have to travel great distances, and be separated from their families, to pursue education. Challenge Africa’s final stage will pay Khwai Pre-School teachers and cover the school’s running costs until the end of 2022. 

This month’s Charity of the Month was chosen by Beer52’s own senior partnerships executive, Grant Anderson, who met Jack while attending an event hosted in Craghoppers' Edinburgh store. In addition to donating to Jack’s fundraiser, Beer52 and Craghoppers have joined forces so that £7.50 of every case of beer claimed through a promotion being run with Craghoppers, will be donated to Challenge Africa’s cause. 

"We were delighted to support Jack's event at Craghoppers Edinburgh Store, and hearing about the incredible challenges he did for these wonderful causes was an inspiration,” says Grant. “I'm delighted we are able to support his fundraiser with our charity of the month donation and a multi-faceted campaign in partnership with Jack and Craghoppers. I'd encourage all Ferment readers to donate to Jack's GoFundMe page as the money will make a tangible difference to communities across Southern Africa."

To donate and find out more about Jack's adventures, visit www.jackfleckney.co.uk/challenge/africa-expedition