A nine-year-old girl from Nottingham has raised £900 for a children's hospice after asking friends to donate money instead of buying her birthday presents. Nancy Fox, a pupil at Nottingham Girls High School, collected £500 last year and a further £400 this year for Rainbows, a hospice for children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
Nancy decided to swap gifts for donations after a presentation from Rainbows at her school. She said: 'If everyone my age gave up their birthday presents just once in their life it would be amazing. It could help charities like Rainbows so much.'
Her mother, Kim Fox, of the Park Estate, explained that Nancy loves big parties but often received up to 30 gifts, many of which went unused. 'She used to get almost 30 gifts from all her friends that came. But loads of the presents weren't used or the toys were left unopened, so she decided to ask her friends and their parents to donate money instead,' Mrs Fox said.
Mrs Fox added that parents appreciate the idea as it removes the pressure of buying presents. Nancy and her mother hope to raise even more for other charities in the future and inspire others to do the same.
Ali Furlong, community fundraiser at Rainbows, praised Nancy's efforts: 'What Nancy has done for Rainbows is absolutely fantastic. She has been incredibly generous and her donation will really make a difference to the children, young people and families who we care for.'
