Influencer
TikTok Influencers Walk 140 Miles For In Fundraising Bid For Charity
TikTok influencers Shane Cole and Joel Redhead have embarked on a 140-mile (225 km) charity walk from Coventry to Wales to raise funds for Chasing Rainbows, a bereavement charity that supports families who have lost a child. The five-day journey, which began on April 29, honors Redhead’s nephew Jude, who died shortly after birth in November.
As the BBC reports, the pair plans to walk at least a marathon daily before concluding their journey at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) on Sunday, May 4. Their fundraising effort has already generated over £20,000 before the walk commenced, surpassing the charity’s previous record donation of £10,000.
“It has really helped his sister, who struggled and didn’t know who to talk to, but now she goes to the support groups and openly talks about it,” Cole explains about the charity’s significance to Redhead’s family.
The influencers document their journey through social media, generating awareness while maintaining engagement through a mix of serious messaging and lighthearted content. Their online followers offer practical support, including backyard camping spaces and access to kitchens along the route.
Building on Previous Charitable Collaboration
This initiative follows the duo’s earlier fundraising challenge for a men’s mental health charity, where they drove from John O’Groats to Land’s End. That experience strengthened their partnership and established their model for charitable collaboration.
“We’re going to be posting endless videos along the way and trying to keep it upbeat along the way by playing pranks on each other, but also remembering the serious reason why we’re doing this,” Cole states. “The more awareness and the more we raise, the more we will be able to help.”
Influencers regularly engage in charity events. In March, the Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium raised £4,733,004 (~$6.1 million) for multiple charities, drawing 90,000 spectators and over 17 million online viewers. The sixth edition of the influencer-led soccer event nearly doubled its previous fundraising record.
