Birthday boy sacrifices his presents for charity

Sam King recently turned 11 but decided that, instead of presents, he’d like to support a project to build a new maternity unit in the African country of Congo - where five per cent of babies die before they are a month old and 1 in 30 women die during childbirth.

And instead of a birthday party he took his friends on a sponsored hill to Queen’s View, braving wind and rain in the process.

Mum Katherine said: “Sam already supports a 13-year-old boy in Rwanda.

“I’d had a coffee morning to raise money for the maternity unit and suggested to Sam that he already had plenty of toys and he might like to support the project instead. He took some time to think about it and decided he would.

“The walk was pretty wet, but we managed it.

“We’re really proud of Sam and what he has done to help people who are in so much need.”

Sam has raised over £100 for the project, headed up by charity Comfort Rwanda.

For more details about how you can donate, or to find out more, go to www.comfortrwanda.org.uk