A kind-hearted four-year-old is lacing up her shoes to raise funds for a charity that helps disadvantaged children.
Lacey Riddell, from Stuartfield, is walking a mile every day from November 15 until December 15 to drum up support for the Cash for Kids appeal.
Collectively Cash for Kids raised more than £20.9m in 2019, supporting more than one million children.
The initiative aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in communities who are affected by poverty, illness, neglect or have additional needs.
So far, the youngster has smashed her fundraising target of £100 by raising a whopping £2,060 for her efforts.
Mum Emma said her daughter made it her mission to help in any way she can.
She said: “Lacey is very empathetic and has always thought of other people. If she has a bag of sweets she will give them all away, she’s that type of person.
“We were in the car one day and we were listening to the radio, and they were talking about the Cash for Kids Coat Appeal.
“She asked what it was so I explained to her that there are boys and girls in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire that don’t have essentials.
© DCT Media/Kenny Elrick
“I’m a pre-school nursery teacher and during lockdown, I would be on Skype calls and she would overhear things, so she started asking questions about other children who don’t have as much.
“She said ‘I want to do something for them, mummy, I have everything I need but they don’t’.
“I asked what she wanted to do, thinking she might say something like baking, but she said she wanted to walk a mile every day.”
Lacey has even delayed sending her letter to Santa until she has completed her challenge.
Emma, 28, added: “Lacey is loving the challenge, every day she wakes up and she’s raring to go. We’ve been out all weathers, in rain and shine.
“She’s vowed not to write her letter to Santa until she has completed the challenge.
“We’ve walked around Haddo House, Aden Country Park, and on Saturday Lacey will be walking around the pitch at Formartine.
“I’m very proud of her. She’s only four and I think a lot of people think the idea for her challenge came from me, but she came up with it.”
To donate to Lacey’s fundraising challenge, go to bit.ly/2VlRxuf
To find out more about the Cash for Kids appeal, go to www.cashforkids.org.uk
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