A Year 1 pupil at a South Croydon primary has used her pocket money, and ingenuity, to raise more than £600 to fund meals for 22 homeless people.
Now for something completely different: Naomi Townsend didn’t want to do any of the ‘boring’ fundraising activities – and decided to help the homeless
The Parents and Friends Association of Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School in South Croydon set the school’s children a target of raising £22.22 each to support the school’s fundraising effort, with a deadline set of February 22, 2022.
Six-year-old Naomi Townsend decided to do something completely different from the suggested sponsored swims, bike rides, reading, walks or (a favourite of some parents) silences.
She described these tasks as “Boring!” and said she wanted to do something more in line with the school’s ethos of kind words, kind hands, and kind feet.
In December, Naomi volunteered with the charity Percy’s Homeless Hub to help distribute food to rough sleepers in Croydon, and this gave her an idea of a better way to fund-raise for her school.
Naomi used some of the money she has saved up to buy the ingredients of her favourite meal. With help from her mum and dad, Naomi is planning to prepare pasta with meat sauce and bake a cake, which she will then distribute to 22 homeless people across the Croydon town centre with a team from Percy’s Homeless Hub on Saturday week.
Naomi has called her mission “Project 22”.
She said, “No one should have to sleep on the street, it’s cold and lonely out there, and I want everyone to be warm and happy just like my little sister and I are with our family.”
With the help of her parents, over the weekend Naomi has set up a GoFundMe page to provide an opportunity for the community to sponsor and help her raise money for her school while helping to feed the homeless. Within 24 hours, she had raised more than £600.
If you want to help Naomi’s Project 22, click here.
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