A WOKINGHAM man has raised over £400,000 during the last four years, to pay for life-changing medical care for children and babies in the Caribbean.
He’s about to raise even more.
Karl Thompson, 57, has already completed three gruelling all-terrain challenges, and will soon take part in his fourth jungle trek.
Managing director of Unique Vacations UK Ltd. (UVUK), and UK representative of Caribbean resort companies, Sandals and Beaches Resorts, he is also the UK Director for the Sandals Foundation.
It was in this role that he was inspired to create the Island Challenge – an event that he organises and takes part in each year.
He launched his first Island Challenge in 2023 to raise money for paediatric facilities in Antigua by taking part in a series of rugged trials across the island.
Following the success of year one, he replicated the event in Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, raising over £400,000 for children’s healthcare in just four years.
Through the Sandals Foundation charity, the money raised by Thompson and his team has funded vital equipment for hospitals across the Caribbean, allowing staff to provide lifesaving treatment for young children and babies.
“This Island Challenge is especially meaningful as we continue to support Jamaica and celebrate the incredible strength and resilience of its people,” he said.
“We’re doing this to raise funds, inspire hope and make a lasting difference for families across the island.”
So far, Karl has run over 187km, kayaked across 21km of ocean, hiked 2,619 feet to the peak of Gros Piton in Saint Lucia and even scaled an active volcano, La Soufriere, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
This year, the 2026 Sandals Foundation Island Challenge is taking place in Jamaica where Karl, along with 30 other participants, will run a half marathon, trek through the jungle, hike 4,500 feet up to the Blue Mountains, and take part in an intense military endurance test.
Over four days from October 2 to October 5 karl will kayak, climb river falls, zip line through a jungle, take a forest trek, run a half marathon, take a military endurance challenge, and hike up 4,500 feet of mountain.
Every penny raised from the Island Challenge Jamaica 2026 will be used to strengthen the ability of paediatric healthcare teams at hospitals along the northern corridor of Jamaica, enabling them to deliver quality care with essential equipment and building repairs.
The Island Challenge Jamaica 2026 is supported by Sandals Resorts, British Airways, Island Routes Adventure Tours and the Jamaica Tourism Board.
Aditional partners include: Hearst, Mail Metro Media, Accord Marketing, Hays Travel, CC Hospitality Group, RedPill, InPrint, Piqniq, Mobile Media, and TripAdvisor.
For information, and to donate to Karl’s Jamaican fundraiser, visit: justgiving.com (search for Island Challenge 2026) and sandalsfoundation.org
