Francisco Sudol learned about the Victorian campaigner – who founded a network of children’s homes and educated tens of thousands of children – at St Vincent’s Catholic School, in Mill Hill.
He said: “Dr Barnardo went and took pictures of children in dirty ragged clothes and dirty hats to show the world. I could tell some of them were chimney sweeps.”
Barnardo’s charity is still active today, and Francisco discovered that its research shows that 38% of families in the UK today cannot provide food for their children.
“That really surprised me,” he added.
So Francisco decided to raise £600 for Barnardo’s by the end of January as part of his New Year’s resolutions.
During the holidays and at weekends he set out to Chandos Park, Mill Hill Park and Canons Park with his family.
By Thursday he had walked just over 10km and smashed his fundraising target, raising more than £2,000.
But since school restarted Francisco admits he is finding it harder to fit in walks, with football and swimming clubs as well as homework making it harder to find the opportunity.
Nonetheless, he and his mum Jess have been walking “twice around the block” – roughly 2km – on the rare afternoons when he has no commitments.
He said: “I thought it would be really easy but it’s actually quite hard. You really have to commit to do it. You can’t raise money and not do it.”
His mum Jess said: “We’re super proud of him. It’s a big thing for an eight-year-old to say ‘I really want to raise money for this charity, will you help me?’
“So I used the tools that I have and he doesn’t, like phones and social media, and helped him to do it.”
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/20km-walk-for-barnados
