Girl, 12, raises cash for homeless

A Knaresborough schoolgirl was so touched by homelessness in Manchester that she raised over £100 for Wetherby Salvation Army.

King James student, 12-year-old Pheobe Carmichael, started her own fundraising campaign after a trip to the North West city just before Christmas 2014.

“She saw first hand the homelessness issue there and decided to do something about it,” said a Salvation Army spokesman.

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Pheobe has raised cash, saved in an ice cream carton, by mucking out at a horse stables, done two car boot sales selling toys she no longer needed, used her pocket money to buy sweets for a tombola.

The £105.50 will go to help people who are experiencing homelessness, poverty and isolation.

The Salvation Army’s local leader in Wetherby, Major Kelston Stanford said: “When I met Pheobe, I was so moved that a 12-year-old (or 10-year-old when she started fundraising) would care so much about homelessness that she would start her own fundraising campaign.

Pheobe is amazing young lady, who has shown amazing compassion and caring. The money she raised will go to help people who are experiencing homelessness, poverty and isolation.”

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In 2015, The Salvation Army celebrated 150 years of Christian service. From its foundation in London’s East End in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth, The Salvation Army is active in 127 countries.

The Salvation Army has been working in Wetherby for 23 years and runs an inclusion unit in partnership with Wetherby High.

Social action has been central to The Salvation Army’s Christian faith.

In 1885 Salvationists successfully campaigned for the age of consent to be raised from 13 to 16 and opened the UK’s first labour exchange in 1890.