JESSICA Bird, 7, a pupil at St Oswald’s Catholic Primary School has completed a five-mile walk to raise £400 for a buddy bench. If a child is feeling lonely or has nobody to play with they sit on the bench to let other children know they need a buddy in the playground.

At the end of last term, the kind-hearted pupil wrote to her head teacher, Miss Lennon, explaining how she felt it was important to be kind and that she felt that everybody should have somebody to play with in school.

Jessica, from Padgate, thought it would be a good idea to have a buddy bench in school so that other children are aware of when others are feeling lonely.

She ended her letter to Miss Lennon saying that she was going to raise the money herself.

Jessica and her proud mum Kim looked into how much the bench would cost and discovered it would be around £400.

To raise the money, the pair decided on a five-mile walk and with the help of school friends and Kim’s colleagues at The Christie, they raised the money needed.

Kim said: “As a family we are so incredibly proud of Jessica’s kindness and determination to raise this money for such a kind and considerate idea that will hopefully benefit children for years to come at St Oswald’s.”