Teen's Christmas appeal helps children in care
SuppliedA young basketball player helped to ensure children in care received Christmas presents after donating a huge haul of gifts.
Luke visited South Shields Fire Station to drop off a present for its toy appeal and was told he was one of the first to donate.
Wanting to do more, the 14-year-old sprung into action and petitioned his basketball team, his dad's work colleagues and local supermarkets to help fill a sack full of presents.
The last-minute collection secured more than 100 gifts and £300 worth of chocolate, which have been given to children and young people in South Tyneside.
"Luke simply wanted to do whatever he could to help," said his dad, Sean.
His efforts started less than two week before Christmas, with donations "pouring in" and it taking three trips to deliver the gifts.
"We got absolutely loads and loads of toys to the point of where the car was full to the roof and we had to put the seats down to get all the toys in," Sean added.
SuppliedLuke has a history of charitable acts and in the past has sold 3D-printed safety whistles and ran half marathons to raise money for Northumberland and Lake District mountain rescue teams.
Earlier this year, he was bestowed with a British Citizen Youth Award at the Palace of Westminster for his charitable work.
But despite his past fundraising, his dad said Luke was "quite overwhelmed" by the success of the Christmas collection.
"I think he was really quite shocked at the absolute kindness of strangers," he said.
