Big-hearted Alness lad (8) cooks up plan to help the homeless
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AN eight-year-old boy from Alness raised more than £450 for charity by selling cakes at a pop up cafe every fortnight in his own home.
Duncan Roberts set about his campaign after being troubled at the tail end of 2019 about homeless people having to sleep outdoors through the winter.
Duncan baked with his mum, set up the café and donated the money he raised to two charities as well as raising money to pay for new equipment for his own use at home.
Mum, Laura Roberts said: "Duncan started thinking of ways to raise money, and since he loves to bake with me thought that getting people to pay to eat cakes was an excellent idea."
Duncan who is home educated has a keen interest in wildlife, particularly pandas, so wanted to help them, and to buy a homeless person a house.
"He also decided to try and raise money for an iPad to support his education, allowing him to access technologies that will assist him with his literacy which he struggles with," his mum continued.
"Duncan is autistic and when he decides he is going to focus on something he gives it his all, therefore in no time arrangements were made to open his house for coffee mornings every second Saturday from January to March.
"The learning opportunities this presented were immense, from looking at books to plan what to bake, writing shopping lists, going to Lidl to do the shopping, weighing, measuring, timing, life skills relating to hygiene, money management, shopping, banking, social skills and being willing to having lots of people in his home.
"The support from friends and relatives near and far was incredible. Soon he had regulars who would put in special requests for their favourite cakes, and many he could rely on to come every fortnight – up to 48 some Saturdays.
"People even started bringing plastic boxes so they could take extras home!
"On three occasions he also took baking along to a regular Home-Ed meeting at Aigas, where friends and staff did not disappoint in emptying the plates!"
Mrs Roberts continued: "With the start of Covid-19 and social distancing it was impossible to hold the sixth coffee morning, but instead people placed orders and received a time slot to come and collect a box from the front doorstep which worked incredibly well."
Duncan’s initial target had been to raise £600 over the six days, but he ended up raising more than £1000.
Mrs Roberts said: "Unfortunately not enough to buy a homeless person a house, but he did donate £200 to Highland Homeless Trust in Inverness, £250 to WWF for work with Giant Pandas, and bought an iPad and Apple Pencil for his educational work."
