“I want to raise money for children who have no food” - Ronnie aged seven goes out fundraising on his bike

A seven-year-old schoolboy has raised £1,000 for Uttlesford Food Bank by going out on his bike.

It’s a grand effort. Ronnie Sammons is cycling to put food on people’s plates.

Neighbours, family and friends in Newport, where he lives, have been cheering him on his way as he goes out every day, with mum Kayleigh and little brother Eddie, aged three, who accompanies him on his scooter.

Ronnie, a pupil at Newport Primary, has been named for a good Citizens Award by his school.

He started his challenge to spend two hours on his bike or climbing trees on June 8.

By the end of the first day, he had raised £280. By Saturday, June 20, he had hit £1,000.

He has pledged to keep going out every day from 10am to noon until the end of the month.

He said at the start: “I will leave a hat out for donations and I am hoping to get the hat filled up. I will be ‘the guy on the bike’ to help raise money for some people who don’t have much money or food.

“I can’t possibly do any school work with Mum. I’ve got lives to save.”

Ronnie has been shielding throughout the COVID-19 crisis because he has asthma. After going to see his hospital consultant, he told his mum he was worried that children would die of the virus.

Kayleigh said: “I told him children weren’t dying of the virus but that there were other things to concern us, like the foodbank, which is having to help a lot more people now. He said: ‘I want to raise money for children who have no food’.

“People in Newport have been amazing. Every day, someone has come out to watch him in support. There is a large area in front of the house where he can ride his bike and if he gets out of breath, he climbs up a tree. There was one day when he struggled but he still managed to do the two hours.

“Ronnie has a very big heart. He is committed to this cause and just wants to get on his bike in order to help others during these challenging times.”

Sophie Durlacher, manager of Uttlesford Food Bank said: “We love that this is entirely Ronnie’s idea, he just wanted to do something to help children. We will use the money to help families in need buy fresh food to go with the usual food parcels.”

To help Ronnie help the foodbank see: virginmoneygiving/fund/boyonthebike.