12-year-old twins get on their bikes to raise hundreds of pounds for cancer charity close to their hearts
You can still donate to the cause
Twelve-year-old identical twins Joseph and George Kemp have raised more than £600 for charity after completing an ambitious cycling challenge across some of the North East’s most iconic landmarks.
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The brothers from Washington first discovered a passion for fundraising last October (2025) when they organised a charity bike ride from the Tyne Tunnel to the Tyne Bridge. The twins raised £665 for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of their grandfather with some of the money going to Sunderland charity Pawz For Thought, because they “wanted to do something for the animals”.
This years challenge was planned by Joseph who decided to raise money for the cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support after seeing the care and support the charity gave to their Auntie Hannah and her family when her mum died from the disease.
Joseph also revealed one of his close friends at school had lost his mother to cancer.
The boys carefully planned a circular cycling route of around 50km, taking in important North East landmarks including Washington Old Hall, Penshaw Monument, Durham Cathedral and Redhills Miners Hall.
Determined to make the fundraiser a success, Joseph even designed and delivered his own sponsorship flyers around local streets and neighbourhoods, receiving donations from many people the family had never even met.
The twins completed around 30km of the challenge on the first day, reaching the final landmark before accepting a lift home. However, George was upset that they had not completed the full route and felt they had “let their sponsors down.” So the following morning, the family drove back to Durham, and the twins got back on their bikes and completed the remaining 20km ride home.
The twins were joined on their cycle challenge by their mother, Joanne Kemp who said: “I’m so proud of their thoughtfulness towards others, but also their resilience and determination to finish something they started, even when it turned out to be much harder than they expected.
“They’ve shown such kindness and maturity for children their age, and the support from local people has been incredible.”
George and Joseph have already smashed their £500 target by raising a whopping £758. You can still donated to the twins’ cause via their JustGiving page.