A 10-YEAR-OLD has collected nearly 300kg of food for a Salisbury charity, in the hope that “all other children and families will have food for Christmas”.

What started as just a school project for Haydn Baker soon became a mission to feed lots of residents and families that will turn to food banks over the Christmas period.

After being tasked to complete a project inspired by ‘Hope’, the Sarum St Paul’s Primary School student decided he would dedicate the time to the Salisbury branch of The Trussell Trust.

As a result, over the last few weeks Haydn and his family have been busy collecting food donations with the help of teachers, parents, friends and Salisbury Boxing Club, where Haydn is a regular.

Haydn, who turns 11-years-old next week, also organised a non-uniform day for his whole school, in aid of the food bank support charity.

After briefly transforming their home into a donation drop-off point, the Bemerton Heath family delivered around 290kg of goods to The Trussell Trust at the weekend, December 5.

Haydn’s mother Laura said The Trussell Trust team was “gobsmacked” with the amount Haydn had collected, adding it was double the usual amount produced from a typical school event or harvest festival.

Talking about starting points for the project, she said: “Haydn came home and said to me ‘what should I do?’ so I told him it was completely up to him, and he said ‘I would like to do something for charity’.

“So, we linked up with The Trussell Trust as he wanted to collect food for them.

"He said to me ‘I want all other children and families to have food for Christmas. No one should miss out’.”

After delivering the food, Haydn helped volunteers to pack emergency parcels, and he was given a tour of the warehouse.

Laura, a caterer at a primary school, said: “Just helping one family would have been great, but we collected 290kg, we had to do three car trips to take it all.

“Haydn did so well, he has worked so hard and everyone has been so supportive and positive, the response has just been lovely.”

Haydn has decided his charity work will repeat next year, with hopes to smash the newly-set 290kg target.

Food banks, including The Trussell Trust site, provide a minimum of three days’ emergency food to people in crisis, alongside additional support.

“I’m so proud of Haydn, he could have chosen something about his own hopes and dreams but he always thinks about others,” Laura added.

“He just realises there are people who are less fortunate and the whole experience has just really opened his eyes.

"The community support has just been so great, we can’t wait to make this a yearly thing.”

Get more Salisbury news. 

You can also like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date, as well as signing up for one of our newsletters.

If you want online news with fewer ads, unlimited access and reader rewards - plus a chance to support our local journalism - find out more about registering or a digital subscription.

Email newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk with your comments, pictures, letters and news stories.