An 11-year-old gamer from Bury, near Huntingdon, has completed a heartfelt challenge to raise vital funds for the charity that cared for his baby brother. Ralph Oswald undertook a week-long mission using the popular building game Trailmakers, where players design and pilot their own vehicles. He set himself the challenge of building a new aircraft every day, a complex and time-consuming feat that has so far raised nearly £350.
Inspired by Family
Ralph, a pupil at Bury Church of England Primary School, decided to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) after the charity cared for his little brother, Reggie. Reggie had been diagnosed with SPTAN1, a rare genetic condition involving a gene deletion, and was nine months old when he died in August 2022. The family received care from EACH at Milton.
Ralph said: "Reggie still had a long life to live, but sadly that was taken away from him. I’ve taken part in fundraisers before, but this one was a bit different because it involved one of my hobbies – gaming! Using Trailmakers, I built a plane every day for a week and took inspiration from books about aircraft. It took hours! I wanted to do something special as a way of saying thank you to EACH."
A Second Home
Milton became almost like a second home for the family, after spending more than seven months visiting regularly. Ralph added: "We’re good friends with all the staff, and while he was alive, they supported us so much with the care Reggie needed. They even arranged for us to have a family swim together in their hydrotherapy pool. After Reggie passed, the support continued with counselling, memory days and sibling days, and they’re still there now, almost four years later."
About Trailmakers
In Trailmakers, players start with simple blocks and parts and then build anything from cars and boats to planes and spacecraft. It is often compared to Minecraft, but with a stronger focus on engineering and real-world-style mechanics, especially for vehicles and flight. The key idea is that everything has realistic physics, so creations must be able to move, balance or take off and fly.
Documenting the Challenge
Ralph documented his daily builds on his YouTube channel, where supporters were able to follow his progress. His fundraising page remains open for donations. Mum Emma said: "Ralph took this challenge upon himself, and the whole thing was his idea. I had minimal input, and we’re so proud of him."
