A band of brothers whose 100 acts of kindness inspired international joy across social media during lockdown have prompted their classmates to embark on a summer of kindness.
Thomas, eight, Sebastian, seven, Jacob, six and Henry, two, are known as Four Little Farm Boys across social media platforms.
The three eldest boys go to Penrith’s Hunter Hall School, but while the country was in lockdown, they were being homeschooled.
Initially their mum, Amy Raven, simply wanted to stay connected to friends and family near and far by doing something nice for them — despite travel bans and social distancing.
Amy said: “The thing that started it all was the phrase – in a world where you can be anything, be kind – so we began with 10 acts of kindness. Then, each lockdown it got bigger – 50, then 100.”
Now, the family’s efforts have now led the boys’ school to create a lower school-wide summer of kindness.
Head of early years foundation stage, Georgina Griffiths, said: “We have been so inspired by the Four Little Farm Boys’ acts of kindness over the past 12 months, that we have decided to take part in our own summer of kindness.
“Over the coming weeks and months the children will be undertaking various act of kindness, both in school and in the local community.”
It kicked off with a huge sunflower planting session at the Four Little Farm Boys’ family farm at Durdar near Carlisle. Children helped to plant 20kg of sunflower seeds in a 300m long strip ready to harvest and pass on as final acts of kindness in September to mark the end of all their hard work and endeavours.
Other activities planned include singing to the residents of local nursing homes and planting flowers to share with church parishioners, reading stories via online platforms to hospital patients, helping the school caretaker with weeding, sending kindness cards, organising litter picks and baking tasty treats to share.
And the random acts will not stop at the school gate.
Each of the lower school children aged between three and seven are being encouraged to complete a ‘kindness passport’ – recording kind deeds at home and in their own local community.
The idea of passing the kindness on has already struck a chord with local businesses keen to support the initiative.
The children have received bags of Carrs flour ready to turn into tasty bakes, bright yellow sunglasses from Dodd & Co and local photographer Steve Barber donated his time as a random act of kindness to capture the children as they visited the farm.
The school are asking individuals, organisations and businesses who might like the Hunter Hall children to help them with good deeds or perhaps to nominate someone to receive a random act of kindness to get in touch via www.hunterhall.co.uk or via Facebook.
