Forest Town student raises funds to help Clipstone volunteer gardener

When 14-year-old Oliver saw that Alan Hunt, a volunteer gardener in Kings Clipstone, was using his own lawn mower to cut the grass between the scheduled council maintenance, he realised that it could be difficult for Alan to maintain the area.

Oliver decided to raise money to help Alan make the job easier.

He said: “I use the village playing field regularly for football practice and I had noticed Alan using his own lawn mower to cut the grass.

“He does this so people like me and the rest of the community can use and enjoy the field.”

Before Oliver could move forward with his plans, he approached the parish council for permission to raise money for a sit-on lawn mower and councillor Nichola Stevens commented how impressed she was with Oliver’s community spirit.

Oliver added: “It looks a lot of hard work and I wanted to make things easier for Alan, so I decided to set up a GoFundMe page.”

Oliver raised an impressive £1,500 – with one ‘generous’ resident donating a massive £500.

Alan Hunt, the village volunteer gardener who was overwhelmed by Oliver’s kindness, said: “I can't believe the thoughtfulness of someone so young.”

James Aldred, headteacher at The Garibaldi School, said: “We are really proud of Oliver and what he has achieved.

“He took the initiative and confidently set about fundraising to support the needs of the community.

“I know the community is really thankful for his contribution and it is just another way our students go above and beyond for the benefit of others.”