ABOUT A month ago, nine-year-old Elliott Amos saw a family with six children on BBC news. The household owned one phone, which all six children had to share for their online learning.

“I realised there are a lot of people around the world like that,” she says over Zoom, “and I wanted to change that.”

Inspired by Marcus Rashford’s campaign to provide free school meals to those in need, Elliott decided to start raising money for electronic devices for those who were without. 

Elliott, who is in year 5 and lives in East Dulwich, says that it’s been really important to have an electronic device over lockdown because all learning has been online, from Google Docs to online computer games.

“I have curly hair and brown skin. I used to really, really, really wish I had straight blonde hair like all the girls in my class… as I’ve got a little older, I’ve decided I really, really love my mad bouncy curls. They are what make me me.”

Elliott Amos, fundraiser

“It’s been a really big part of lockdown. If you don’t have a screen, it would almost be like going back in time to the start of year five,” she says.

Elliott says her father’s story played a big part in her deciding to take action.

“Daddy said that when he was little, and when he was nine, he would have been one of those children who needed a tablet. And he would have been so happy to receive a tablet,” she explains.

Brainstorming around the time of February half term, Elliott came up with the idea to make an activity pack to help her raise money.

“During a lockdown half term, what else are you going to be doing?,”she tells The Voice.

The 40-page pack includes a variety of positive activities including Elliott’s favourite quotes from inspiring people, stories from her friends, a colour-themed crossword, and a word search filled with types of flowers.

A particularly inspiring page is titled ‘Our lovely bodies’, on which people are invited to choose the part of their body they like the most.

Elliott writes: “I have curly hair and brown skin. I used to really, really, really wish I had straight blonde hair like all the girls in my class… as I’ve got a little older, I’ve decided I really, really love my mad bouncy curls. They are what make me me.”

Setting up a website and instagram page (with the help of family members), Elliott started fundraising on a JustGiving page with a target of raising enough money for 24 laptops for children living in her area. 

“I wasn’t sure how successful it would be. I wasn’t sure if we were going to raise £100 in a month or that we would raise £10,000 in three days – and I raised £10,000 in three days,” she says.

Following the success, Elliott’s mum reached out to Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in Peckham.

The school wanted tablets, which are cheaper to buy than laptops, Elliott says, which made things even better.

Elliott was able to donate 30 tablets to the school, from whom she received a heartwarming response. “They sent me one of the best thank you letters I’ve ever received and they sent me photos of the kids holding up their new tablets and it just felt so good that I was helping somebody,” she says with a big smile. 

Elliott, who loves school and is excited to return next week, says: “I feel very proud” and that “it’s so nice to know that you’re helping people with their education.”

Elliott’s mum said that they have just worked out today that Elliott can provide another 55 tablets and that they are in contact with a primary school near Old Kent Road about donating them.  

When I ask Elliott about what she is looking forward to in the future post-lockdown, she says: “I would really, really like to go on helping people as much as I can.

“When I was super little, like five, I set up a little lemonade stand outside my house and I made fresh lemonade. I made about £100 or something, and then I donated that to a charity. 

“[When I help people], I feel so happy because I know I’ve made someone else’s life turn around because I’ve spent some time of my own doing something for someone else, and it’s such a wonderful feeling.”