Family
7 year old Oliver from Liverpool and his amazing ’30 drawings in 30 days’ for charity
4 years ago
A talented seven year old boy from Liverpool has raised nearly a thousand pound for Liverpool charity KIND after pledging to create ‘30 drawings in 30 days’ to support children in need and cheer up the local community in lockdown.
Oliver Hedley, from Crosby, started his amazing portfolio at the beginning of January. As a result of the incredible support he has received so far, he unveiled to his followers this week that he will continue his creations for a long as the country remains in lockdown.
His announcement ties in perfectly with Children’s Mental Health Week, which runs from 1 – 7 February, and this year is encouraging young people from across the country to ‘Express Yourself’.
The incredible young artist launched his fundraiser by inviting family and friends to put forward daily requests for him to sketch and in return each of them donated to KIND Liverpool.
In addition to raising nearly £1,000 so far for the charity, his extraordinary artwork has wowed his followers who are enjoying watching his colourful creations take shape each day.
With donations continuing to flood in, Oliver is urging people across Liverpool to support the cause by submitting new suggestions for what he should create next. The extension also comes much to his Grandfather’s delight, who has already promised to sponsor him £1 per drawing!
Oliver initially decided to use his time at home to raise money for KIND Liverpool after being inspired by footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign against poverty.
After hearing about the famous footballer’s crusade, and learning that 1 in 3 children in Liverpool are living in some kind of poverty, he told his mum Emma Hedley he wanted to help make a difference.
He said: “Children living in poverty just isn’t fair, and fairness shouldn’t be if someone is lucky or unlucky; fairness should just be for everyone. I really want to make a change and to help KIND help other children in my city.”
Oliver’s mum Emma Hedley, added:
“We couldn’t be prouder of Oliver, his choice to support KIND and, of course, his wonderful drawings. Oliver really wanted to do his bit to support local children and when he came up with the idea to create ‘30 drawings in 30 days’ , we knew it would be a perfect way for him to express and challenge himself at home, while raising money for such a worthy cause.
“One of the silver linings of the pandemic are the opportunities to support each other in our community. Oliver gets really excited seeing people’s reactions to his pictures, as well as how much they have generously donated. He also loves seeing what unique and wonderful suggestions people can come up with for him to create! We know many of our family and friends have even put in their orders to actually display Oliver’s artwork in their home, which is a massive confidence boost for our budding little artist.”
Stephen Yip, Founder of KIND, said:
“The team here are all extremely grateful and appreciative of Oliver’s hard work and efforts. His support is enabling us to reach out to thousands of children and adults who are struggling during this time of crisis. The donations so far are not only helping us to provide Food and Education Packs to those who need it; but also allowing us to show these children and adults that they are not alone during this terrible time.”
KIND Liverpool support future generations by offering opportunities for development, inspiration and encouragement for children across the region. They provide activities, services and experiences to help children reach their full potential and be the best they can be. At the moment, they are two weeks in to their Crisis Food Project – providing vulnerable families with fresh food every single week.