The 12-year-old hero who is creating coronavirus 'survival' packs from his pocket money

Alfie collects supplies for his next round of 'survival' packs.

The Peterlee youngster is spending his pocket money and his birthday money on ‘survival packs’ to help others who are stuck at home.

He started by making 40 packs – filled with chocolate, cereal, colouring pages and other craft activities – to give out to local schoolchildren so that he could help ease the boredom they face.

But in no time, he was in such demand that he had created 200 packs from his pocket money, and now he plans to make 200 more.

Alfie carefully puts the packs together.

He has even created gluten and dairy free options.

His heroic efforts have won the praise of Peterlee Police who posted on social media: “During testing times, a hero emerges, and that hero is Alfie.”

Alfie is no stranger to helping others. He runs a mental health support group to aid children dealing with stress. He also runs a project called Alf’s Happy Homework Academy in Easington.

Alfie’s heroics have helped people in the East Durham area but he is a hero much further afield.

It's a huge effort from Alfie who is spending all his pocket and birthday money on helping others.

News of his unstinting support has spread and has been shared on social media as far as Senegal, Canada, Switzerland, Holland, France and Sweden.

His mum Jaynie, who hails originally from Hartlepool and now lives in Peterlee, explained how it all started.

She said: “His birthday is in May and he had some money he had saved up to go out with his friends.

“But he decided it was best to put the money into the survival packs and his pocket money as well.

The result of all that effort is these amazing packs.

“He is very into positive well being. He did 40 bags at first and we have now done more than 200. There is another 200 that he is going to do.”

He and his mum buy the items for the packs from shops and fill the bags themselves.

They contact the people they plan to deliver to and arrange to leave them outside their houses for them to immediately collect, because of the need for social distancing.

Jaynie added: “I drive the car, and we can see the excited kids in the house. I think what Alfie has done is amazing. It blows me away.

“Some people have offered to give us donations but Alfie doesn’t want it. He says he wants people to pay it forward to another person.

“I have said to him that he is going to run out of money and he says ‘it costs nothing to be nice’.”

The latest news on the Coronavirus and how it is affecting the North East is available here.

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