A nine-year-old Portsmouth schoolboy has been praised after raising hundreds of pounds for Pompey in the Community through a creative sunflower fundraising initiative that has captured the hearts of the local community. 

Vincent, a pupil at New Horizons Primary School, has already raised £250 for the Pompey Sleepout after selling 50 handmade sunflower vases, with demand continuing as more people request them. 

His fundraising efforts were inspired by Terence Carvalho, a Portsmouth ambassador who also works for Delivered Social, the organisation responsible for running the Pompey in the Community website. 

Over the past 18 months, Vincent has regularly visited Fratton Park during bucket collections, often approaching Terence directly to donate his own pocket money. What began as small acts of generosity has grown into a sustained commitment to helping others in his community. 

At Christmas, Vincent’s kindness was recognised when he was invited to be a mascot for Portsmouth’s Boxing Day fixture, walking out at Fratton Park and meeting his heroes in a moment his family described as unforgettable. 

More recently, inspired to do even more, Vincent set out to support the Pompey Sleepout. With help from his family, he created and sold handmade sunflower vases, quickly raising £250, with further interest suggesting his fundraising efforts are far from over. 

Vincent summed up his motivation simply, saying:
“Terence makes me want to be kind when I see him being kind.” 

With continued demand for his sunflower vases and growing support from the local community, Vincent’s family say this is only the beginning of his charitable journey. 

Everyone at Pompey in the Community would like to say a huge thank you to Vincent, you are a true community hero. 💙