Strength trainer raises £1500 for local charities, encourages others to get active and spreads much needed hugs nationwide during the pandemic.
In March last year Alexandra Davison from Fareham decided to get creative and make her mum (mumma Viv) 60 pom pom pigs for her 60th birthday, with a tag attached to each saying why she loved her. Shortly after that lock down hit, and Alex’s job as a Strength and Wellness Coach for technical sports, including Olympic Weightlifting, changed dramatically, leaving her more time on her hands.
Not one to sit still, and after seeing the great reaction and joy her pom pom pigs brought her mum, Alex experimented with different animal shapes and Hedgehugs was born.
Growing organically from strength to strength, what was a cottage business to do in her spare time turned into a full-time job in November. Alex drafted in her mum and partner to help make the Hedgehugs, with orders coming in for 150 at a time and requests for customised Hugs such as Christmas Hugs, Baby Shower Hugs, Valentines Hugs, Superhero Hugs and even Nurse Hugs.
Alex’s intention was always to give something back to the NHS, with the family having received “outstanding care” from Queen Alexandra Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital in the past, Alex’s father a senior practitioner at Basingstoke Hospital, her partner working within medical research and her sister-in-law, Heather, an advanced nurse practitioner. Alex herself had even in the past worked within the Occupational Health Team at her local hospital.
Alex comments on the success of Hedgehugs: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the love for our hugs and have sent them as far as Pennsylvania, USA, which is crazy when I think about it! I never could have imagined we’d have raised so much for charity.” 80% of the money raised has gone to the NHS with other donations going to The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, as well as fundraising for a terminally ill local teenager who sadly lost her battle to Cancer just before Christmas.
“As a self-professed fitness fanatic, delivering Hedgehugs on our bikes also gave so much purpose to our daily exercise. We’ve ridden well over 60 miles to deliver a Hedgehug, Fareham to Bordon and back, and have even caught a ferry.
“I love to inspire others to be active and sometimes myself and my partner are joined by my wonderful nine-year-old niece, Caitlin. We created a Delivery Rider Scheme for her which involved Caitlin completing an entire delivery with us and we gave her an award ceremony with a certificate and medal at the end. We hope to inspire others and want to develop this further in the coming months.
“Lockdown has been such a difficult time for so many but making Hedgehugs and reading people’s messages has been so uplifting. I’ve lost count of the amount of times a message has made me tearful, and I’m reminded daily of the love and kindness that exists in the world.”
If you’d like to get involved, either making pom poms or becoming a delivery rider please get in touch with Alex via Facebook or Instagram @haveahedgehug
Web address: https://haveahedgehug.com