Sammie Earl may only be nine-years-old but she has already raised more than ?250 for The Children’s Centre. The Victoria Road School pupil began carol singing when she was three and every year since has been raising funds around Castletown where she lives with her mum and dad Cath and Mark, and her four-year-old brother DJ. Mark, who works as Senior Facilities Officer at The Children’s Centre, said:
“Sammie was interested in where I worked and one day she just said that she wanted to go carol singing to ‘raise funds for the children’. She was only three at that time, and it was all her idea. Cath took Sammie carol singing and we’ve supported her ever since. Over the years Sammie’s friends have joined in so there’s now a little group of carol singers who go around Castletown. Our son David also sings with them and we’re really proud of them both.”
Susie Cox, Community Fundraiser at The Children’s Centre, thanked Sammie and her family and friends for their support - and all of the Castletown residents who have made donations to the carol singers over the years. Susie commented:
“For such a young child to have the idea to raise funds for other children is a truly heart-warming story. The funds that Sammie has raised are a great contribution to our charitable projects, but the generosity and community-spirit she and her friends have shown is worth so much more than that. It’s a fantastic example of all that is good about our Island community, and of the values we wish to promote as a charity for families and children. We will have to keep an eye on Sammie as a potential member of our fundraising team in the future as she clearly has a talent for it!”
Photo - Sammie Earl (front row, centre) with some of her school friends at Victoria Road School who also helped to raise funds for The Children’s Centre. Back row (left to right) are Kirsty Rhodes (10), Mia-Louise Vickers (6), DJ Earl (4), and Philana Lunn, (10). Front row (left to right) are Skywyn Austin (9), Sammie Earl (9), and Caitlin Vickers (9). Leah Vickers (11), from Castle Rushen High School, also helped the group to raise funds but wasn’t able to attend for the photo.
