A nine-year-old Belfast girl says she gets a "real buzz" from being able to give back to her community and beyond through her annual fundraising efforts.
Sophie Nightingale from Dunmurry is impressively setting a heart-warming example of goodwill as the schoolgirl began hosting her first fundraising event in 2019 at age seven.
Every year, Sophie sets herself a goal to raise vital funds for a local charity that makes a big difference in people’s lives - in her first year, the young girl raised £125 for Cancer Fund for Children.
In 2020 during the peak of the pandemic, Sophie raised £600 for the NHS Belfast Trust.
This year, she set herself a target of raising £100 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland, a charity that works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service bringing critical pre-hospital care directly to patients with the aim of saving lives, limbs and brains.
By hosting a raffle within her primary school class, a collection at her local Tesco store and taking on an epic fitness challenge, Sophie managed to smash her original target and raised £1,200 to help critically ill and injured people.
Speaking to Belfast Live, the nine-year-old said: "I get a real buzz helping others and fundraising for local charities. Air Ambulance has been extra special as I got to visit the airbase and meet the crew.
"Hearing about all the good work they do really inspired me to raise as much as I possibly could.
"Now I have to figure out what I can do to raise even more in 2022!"
Kerry Anderson, head of fundraising at Air Ambulance NI, said: "We’re truly inspired by Sophie’s fundraising. Sophie has taken on the challenge to fundraise for local causes year on year and has therefore helped so many people, at such a young age.
"We’re extremely grateful that Sophie chose to support Air Ambulance NI in 2021. The medical team are tasked on average twice per day and with a daily fundraising requirement of £5,500 we rely on the kindness of our wonderful supporters like Sophie to ensure we can reach those in need."
The HEMS service brings urgent medical assistance to anywhere in the province, operating seven days a week for 12 hours per day.
It can get to anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately 25 minutes. From inception to December 2021 the medical team has been tasked 2,679 times.
Air Ambulance NI aspires to raise £2million each year to maintain and sustain this service so public donations are crucial.
If you have been inspired by Sophie’s story you can take part in an event or host your very own fundraiser for Air Ambulance NI. Find out more by visiting www.airambulanceni.org alternatively you can contact the charity directly by emailing info@airambulanceni.org or calling 028 9262 2677.
