An eight-year-old girl from Bristol is planning to give up all of her birthday presents for a second year running and instead support a local food bank, which is now helping support the Ukrainian crisis.
Luna has asked friends and families for contributions and donations to local food banks instead of receiving birthday presents. On top of this, she has now begun a massive fundraiser for Bristol North West Food Bank to help as well.
She is trying to swim the entire length of the English Channel in less than 100 days, by completing laps at her local swimming pool in Stoke Bishop. To swim the whole length of the channel which is around 21 miles, she will have to complete 2,276 laps of the 14.5-metre long swimming pool.
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Luna's mum, Patricia Stevens, said: "She decided to swim the English Channel but in a swimming pool. She started on March 5 and needs to swim 2,276 laps. I think for eight, I can't believe she's my daughter, we feel very very lucky to have her around, she's very positive.
"We've had to be quite firm with her as she does have school and clubs. She's aiming to do it all in less than 100 days. If she did it in exactly 100 days it would equate to 23 laps a day. We think she's going to finish it much sooner, she did 60 laps on March 13.
"When she first wrote it all out, she wanted to raise £250, but she scrapped this and decided on £200 as she thought it was too much. However, she's already raised over £600."
Luna will be turning nine years old later this year and has already decided that she does not want presents. Patricia added: "We thought it was quite normal, but it doesn't seem to be the case when she's giving up birthday presents. She will tell you it's because she has enough toys and other things while other people don't.
"Last year she gave up all of her birthday presents from not just us as parents but everybody. She was allowed eight friends in the garden instead. She had cutlery, towels, microwaves, washing up liquids and more that went to the food bank. They've been very kind in allowing her over the summer holidays to volunteer.
"She'll be giving them up again on her ninth birthday in June. She said she doesn't want any presents. She'll probably ask for foodbank donations again.
She added: "I had to think long and hard but I feel she deserves some recognition for what she's doing. She's only eight years old. The fundraising for the foodbanks comes from school I think as they do the local harvest.
"Everything thinks that their daughter is amazing, but she literally has been amazing. There hasn't been a single moan from her, every Friday she threw a party for me and my husband to celebrate another good week and another good time learning. We have to stay very positive and be grateful for what we have.
"Although the food bank is not specifically raising money for Ukraine, a couple of weeks ago they gave surplus blankets, nappies, wipes and more to them. Luna said if she does a fundraiser it will enable the food bank to buy stuff specifically where the money may be more needed."
You can visit the fundraiser by clicking here.
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