A FUNDRAISING father and son duo who have raised more than £60,000 for charity together will embark on their next challenge later today - completing a marathon in a local supermarket while pushing a shopping trolley.
Gavin Coles, 48, and his son 17-year-old Mason form the fundraising duo ‘Little and Large’.
They have been fundraising together since 2017 after Gavin’s wife’s grandma was cared for by Barnsley Hospice before she died.
Gavin told the Chronicle: “The hospice worked wonders from taking her in until her untimely death.
“They were brilliant with the family and we just thought that we’d try to give something back and it’s just snowballed into what it is now.
“We started Little and Large in May 2017 as a 12-month challenge and we were hoping to raise £2,000 to £3,000 in that period.
“But we exceeded that and now we’re in 2026 and we’re still going.
“As a group we’ve raised over £65,000 for the hospice and then we’ve raised around £5,000 more for other bits that we’ve done for football teams and boxing clubs.”
Gavin has completed huge fundraisers in the past and although today’s may not be the longest, it’s certainly one of the most unique ideas.
Along with Mason, the duo will be completing a full marathon in the Asda supermarket on Old Mill Lane while pushing a trolley.
Gavin said: “We always go into the supermarket for the fundraisers.
“We’ve done walking on treadmills and everything like that - but it’s always been in a stationary position.
“We always have a laugh when we do it and so we were wondering what different things we could actually do where people can get involved.
“If somebody’s in the store while we’re doing the marathon and they need help, they can even use our trolley.
“We’ll push their shopping around and just clock up the miles as we do it.
“The average speed for a walk is about three miles per hour and then we’ll be talking and helping people so I think we’re going to be going between eight and ten hours.
“For us this is a short one because I think the longest we’ve ever spent doing a fundraiser is 36 hours.”
It’s certainly a family affair for the Coles, with Gavin, Mason and Caitlin all picking up accolades at the Proud of Barnsley and Young Champions awards.
And now Gavin’s daughter, 14-year-old Jessie, is making waves in the fundraising world, too.
He said: “It’s such a plus that other family members are involved as well.
“Caitlin runs Griffin Boxing Club and my youngest daughter as well, Jessie, is currently in the middle of doing 50 park runs for charity.
“She’s not a runner, she’s a boxer.
“So she’s doing all of that to get fit as well.
“It’s a real family affair.”
A Barnsley Hospice spokesperson told the Chronicle: “Gavin and Mason are nothing short of fantastic in their drive and determination to help the hospice be there for our community.
“The specialist palliative care and support we provide is only possible thanks to such amazing people like Gavin and Mason, who for years have consistently gone above and beyond to raise awareness and funds.
“We’d like to wish them luck and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for what’s sure to be another mammoth effort on their part.”
