A VERY sporting nine-year-old from Oxford is running a mile for every day of Lent to help people she may never even meet.

Alice Richmond is running a mile at Cutteslowe Park on each of the 40 days from Shrove Tuesday to Easter Sunday.

She is doing it to raise money for a Christian mission more than 1,000 miles away in Ukraine which was set up by her auntie who grew up in the country.

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Alice explained: "I love reading news stories about young people making a difference.

"I was inspired by other fundraising events and campaigns to have a go myself and have set myself the challenge of running the Peace Mile at Cutteslowe Park every day during Lent.

"I am raising awareness of and money for Dnipro Hope Mission, a charity set up by my Auntie Varduyi, who grew up in Ukraine, and my Uncle Joshua, who has lived and worked there.

Nine-year-old Alice Richmond, of Oxford, who challenged herself to run a mile at Cutteslowe Park every day of Lent 2021 to raise money for a Ukrainian mission. Picture submitted by family

Nine-year-old Alice Richmond, of Oxford, who challenged herself to run a mile at Cutteslowe Park every day of Lent 2021 to raise money for a Ukrainian mission. Picture submitted by family

"They have been unable to do visits this year and the people in Ukraine have been suffering even more because of Covid-19 and I really wanted to do something to help."

Alice explained that she usually holds a cake sale each year but, because of Covid, had to think of another way to fundraise, and came up with the Peace Mile idea.

She added: "Mum helped me set up a GoFundMe page and we contacted lots of our friends and family.

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"We hoped that everyone who visited the site would give £1 to help me reach £40; a pound for each mile I will run before Easter.

"However, within the first few hours of setting up the page, my generous friends and family had absolutely smashed my target! I keep having to increase it by £40 each time!

"It is so exciting to know people are interested in my fundraising fun-running project and want to support the amazing work of the charity I have chosen."

Sponsor Alice online at https://uk.gofundme.com/f/alices-forty-day-lent-fundraiser