finns_tins

Six-year-old Chorlton boy and sister collect tins of food for needy people at Xmas

  • Dear Neighbour Christmas Appeal set up to help families in poverty across Manchester
  • Six-year-old Finn asked members of his family to donate £1 each
  • Appeal is hoping to provide Christmas gifts for those in need

After seeing the efforts of Marcus Rashford and local businesses helping to provide to children that were in need, youngsters Finn and Edie O’Farrell decided they wanted to help.

Lindsay O’Farrell, Finn and Edie’s mum, said: “Finn and Edie offered to use their own pocket money to donate towards food, but then they asked their family if they could help donate.

Finn sent voice notes to relatives on Whatsapp asking them to donate £1 to their collection and explained what they were doing. 

He even asked everyone what items they wanted to buy and then compiled a list!”

Part of Finn’s shopping list

Finn and his sister Edie, three, then sat with Lindsay and chose which items they were going to buy. They ended up with more than 40 tins of food to give to the Dear Neighbour Christmas appeal.

Jen Savaris started up the Dear Neighbour Christmas appeal at the beginning of October, to provide non-perishable food to food banks across Manchester and provide presents to children living in poverty.

Jen said: “When I was a child my mum struggled financially and there were times where she would go hungry to make sure I was fed. 

She would always try and make sure I had presents to wake up to and if it wasn’t for family helping her out she would have needed food banks and gifts from specialised agencies herself.

Knowing her struggles inspired me to help those in similar and worse situations to try give them a better and less stressful and worrysome Christmas.”

Jen is hoping to raise about £6000,00, with half to be spent filling food banks and emergency food parcels and the other half on the toys for children.

Finn and his tins!

Hearing about Finn and Edie’s efforts, Jen said: “I think it’s wonderful that children are getting involved and getting an insight into how some families struggle.

It’s a good way of teaching values for when they get older.

What Finn and Edie did was wonderful and I was so delighted when their mum messaged to show what they had collected.

Well done Finn and Edie you are both superstars, thank you!”

The appeal is still taking donations of collections of non perishable food and hygiene products around Manchester, this can be arranged by emailing [email protected]

If anyone wants to donate towards the Dear Neighbour Christmas appeal, they can do so here.