A schoolgirl who set up a chocolate-chip cookie stand with her little brother has donated her share of the proceeds to a church food programme.

Poppy Palmer, 6, from Pembroke, and four-year-old brother, Miles, sold the homemade cookies from a stand on their lawn for ten cents each.

The cookies sold out, and neighbours who bought them were generous with tips so when they split the proceeds, Poppy and Miles had nearly $10 each.

Poppy, a P2 pupil at the Bermuda High School, said: “I thought we would be able to buy a house, but we only had enough money to buy food, so that’s what we’re deciding to do.”

Poppy’s mother, Heather, said: “Upon closing up shop, we split the money between Poppy and her brother, and Poppy immediately asked if she could use her money to buy a homeless person a house.

“My husband and I explained that it was a lovely idea, but that she didn’t have quite enough.

“She then decided that she wanted to buy food for people that needed it, and remembered that Kathy Watson, our neighbour, made food for those in need through her church.”

She added: “So, within minutes, Poppy had stuffed all of her money into an envelope and went on her own down to Mrs Watson’s to donate the money to her church.

“I thought it was very sweet, I was very proud of her for the decision.

“The remarkable thing for me was that all of this came from Poppy with no prompting whatsoever. Poppy had been talking about wanting to help less fortunate people for some time, but I hadn’t appreciated that this was her goal in the cookie sale.”

Ms Watson volunteers at the lunchtime programme at Christ Church Warwick, which has provided more than 27,000 meals for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic since it started in April.

She said: “Poppy rang the doorbell and said she had an envelope for me. It was very sweet.”

David Thompson, who runs the programme at the church on Middle Road, said Poppy’s gesture “pulls at my heartstrings”.

He added: “It is so honest, so simple and so from the heart. It is a wonderful gesture from her.

“At that age, to even think about people in need and help the programme is just amazing.”