A SELFLESS little Swindon boy has marked his fifth birthday by asking his classmates to help those less fortunate instead of giving him a gift.

Callum Heron invited friends who attended his party at the weekend to bring educational items and school bags to send to impoverished children across the globe.

The pupil at Tadpole Farm Primary School heard about the charity Mary’s Meals from his mum, Fiona McNeill, and decided he wanted to help.

Mary’s Meals began The Backpack Project in 2005. It provides meals for children in third world countries and has sent out more than 480,000 filled backpacks.

For some children, the filled backpack will be the first gift they ever have received. They are filled with school materials as well as toiletries.

Callum, from Redhouse, started supporting the charity by collecting pennies in a box. Now, with the help of Fiona, 42, he is inspiring other families to get involved.

He said: “It was my birthday and I wanted to help the children who don’t get anything for their birthday. I hope they will be able to learn better in school now.”

Fiona said: “Callum had a brilliant birthday and got everything he asked for from his family, so with 20 kids turning up to the party we thought this would be much more productive and would do some good in the world.

“We sent out invitations with the polite request that instead of gifts would people consider bringing any of the items on the list. We put The Backpack Project flyer in with the invitations and right away parents were coming back saying ‘what a lovely idea’. We had some people giving full backpacks which was great.”

Mary’s Meals Education Officer Joe Black said: “Thank you, Callum for being so extremely kind on your birthday. What a fantastic idea. The children who receive Mary’s Meals have suffered poverty, war, famine, or natural disaster. A simple backpack filled with basic educational items and, with the meals they receive children can make the most of their education and look forward to a brighter future.”

Now working in 15 countries, in the world’s poorest communities, Mary’s Meals provides 1.2 million children with a nutritious meal every school day.

It costs just £13.90 to feed a child in school through Mary’s Meals, with 93p of every pound donated going to its charitable work. Until 31 December 2017, donations to the Meals Double The Love campaign are being match-funded, up to a total of £1.9 million, thanks to three amazing supporters, including players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Fiona added: “My dad has always encouraged the kids to give any pennies they find to Mary’s Meals, if he is out with them and sees one lying on the ground he’ll say ‘oh that’s another one for Mary’s Meals’ and he puts it in his Mary’s Meals pocket.

"The kids have picked up on little things like that and want to be involved.”

Mary’s Meals, which began feeding 200 children in one school in Malawi in 2002, now reaches 1,230,171 children with a daily meal in their place of education in 15 countries, across four continents.

It costs just £13.90 to feed a child for a whole school year through Mary’s Meals. The charity is committed to keeping its costs low and spends at least 93 pence of every £1 donated on its charitable work.