An eight-year-old has turned sadness at the death of his grandma into something positive with a sterling fundraising effort.
Charley Clarke and his family from south Lowestoft were left saddened following the sudden death of his grandmother Vicky Jackson in Tenerife, where she lived.
Mrs Jackson, 63, had been a teacher at Northfield Primary School and the Ashley School in Lowestoft before moving to the Canary Islands.
Daughter Michelle Clarke said: “Mum was an active member of the ex-pat community in Tenerife and together with her husband Peter supported a local charity ‘Happy to Help’ with fundraising.
“In fact in 2017 mum took to the skies and braved a paraglide raising money for the charity.”
With eight-year-old Charley having seen fellow cubs from the 1st Carlton Colville pack raising money for good causes, Mrs Clarke said: “Charley decided that he wanted to raise money for ‘Happy to Help’ just as his grandma had done.
“So we came up with the idea of setting a fundraising challenge of completing 50 deeds in 30 days and decided to start on mum’s birthday, July 15.”
With the help of his five-year-old sister Faith Clarke, as his assistant, Charley set about cleaning cars, driveways, a swimming pool and a chicken coop as well as gardening in Pakefield Churchyard and Kensington Gardens, moving logs and other outdoor deeds, all at a social distance.
His final deed was cleaning a police car.
The youngster was pleased to announce that he had raised 2000 Euro (£1801.54) as he thanked everyone for their support and for sponsoring him.
He said: “Something really bad happened to my family but this has made me really happy.”
Mrs Clarke added: “The funds raised will be used in two halves.
“€1000 will pay for the first three months rent for a family with two children who have been living in nine different shelters in two years.
“Now settled, the youngsters aged 11 and 14, will be able to go to a regular school.
“The other €1000 will fund the ‘Happy to Help’ charity’s ‘back to school’ campaign which they didn’t think would be possible to fund this year as money has been used to fund food for families during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Charley’s fundraising has allowed it to continue and will buy school clothes and resources for disadvantaged children, helping them to feel like all the other children.”
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