A schoolboy has raised nearly £600 for Richmond Food Bank.
Joseph Gibbs, 8, began fundraising with a poster created for the NHS.
He was sponsored by the family’s Twickenham neighbours and the money raised was used to help buy food for A&E departments.
Joseph’s mother Caz , 39, said: “I am so proud of what Joey has down, the fact that he did it all on his own.
“I could see that me working late nights was starting to affect him so that anxiety needed a vessel which is how the fundraising started.
“He needed to know he could make a difference, it was a coping mechanism.”
Caz, who works for the New Morden Ambulance Service, lives with husband Paul 42, their two sons Joseph and Max, 6, and dogs Lenny and Cooper.
After initial success, Joseph decided to fundraise for a food bank after seeing all those impacted by Covid-19.
Joseph’s initial target for the food bank was £250 however he soon achieved that goal and doubled it to £500. The fund now stands at £570.
Vineyard Community Centre CEO Mark Palframan, 54, said: “Joseph is a good example to encourage others.
“It is nice to see the community coming together people of all ages and ethnicities.
“We have had a number of heart-breaking stories of people having lost their jobs struggling to feed their children.
“We feel it is going to get worse with the government’s furlough scheme ending.”
The Richmond Food Bank was the only function running for the Vineyard Community Centre after everything was shut down in March following lockdown.
Volunteers came in droves with British Gas delivery drivers helping deliver food.
Before lockdown the food bank was helping 50 people per week but because of the pandemic that figure increased to 300 people per week.
Food parcels are made up of items such as pasta, beans and with the groceries being worth around £30-40 per parcel.
The food bank offer individual and family parcels and relies on donations.
Donate to Joseph’s fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/joeys-community-care-fund.
