'She's an inspiration' – 6-year-old Summer uses birthday money to buy essentials for food bank

When six-year-old Summer White called in to spend her birthday money at our Bishop Auckland store she didn't want to buy toys or treats for herself ... she spent it all on essential supplies for her local food bank.

Danielle Whigham, the store's community champion, said: "Summer came into the store with her family and told me what she wanted to do and I was amazed. It was such a lovely and kind thing for her to do, and at such a young age.

"We decided to match her generosity and made a donation to the food bank at the Influence Church in Barnard Castle too."

Summer's mum Charlotte, said: "We are all so proud of Summer – she's an inspiration.

"We started to attend the Influence Church in Barnard Castle where we live and Summer got talking to people there about the food bank they have there and she just wanted to help.

"When it was her birthday she said she'd rather have money than presents so she could donate food to the food bank which could be distributed to people in the community who needed it.

"She still got presents from us, but she got £36 from friends and family which she spent on food and we also got donations of food to to give to the food bank."

Summer, who has siblings Madison, aged two, Tommy, who's 16, and 20-year-old Lisa-Marie, goes to Green Lane Primary School in Barnard Castle.

She's not the first youngster to impress our colleagues with their incredible kindness. When he was nine, Kayden Smith used to spend his pocket money on supplies for Dundee Foodbank on his weekly visits to our Dundee Kirkton store. Read more here. And last year eight-year-old Lucas Waddell donated his £40 birthday birthday money at our Worksop store to support Bassetlaw Foodbank. Read more here. Thank you to them and all our generous customers who support their local food bank by donating at the permanent collection points in all our larger stores.