Boy's love of farming inspires tractor fundraiser

A 10-year-old boy who "loves anything to do with farming" has raised more than £1,000 for a rural mental health charity by organising a tractor run.

Dexter, from Wingfield in Suffolk, who would be a sixth-generation farmer, said he wanted to help "a different charity" than most people and drew on his love of tractors as inspiration.

The event raised money for the East of England-based You Are Not Alone (YANA) charity which was founded by a group of farmers from Norfolk.

Dexter said it made him feel "really happy and great" and he was glad so many people had turned up for the run, which went from Suffolk into Norfolk.

"I love being on the farm and would love to get loads of people together and do a charity road run," said the youngster.

"I just really want to support a charity. Loads of people do big charities and I wanted to do a different charity to everyone [else]."

Some 37 vintage and modern tractors took part in Sunday's run from Syleham Hall, near Wingfield, to Rushall, in Norfolk.

Dexter's dad, Miles, said: "My son wanted to organise the tractor road run, got in touch with a local chap who organises a tractor run, worked with him to organise this event.

"He just loves anything to do with farming and he likes to support charities and do events, so he wanted to do something with farming to support the farming way of life.

"He usually takes part in tractor runs, but had never organised one himself.

"He likes riding around in tractors. He loves them."

Dexter's mum, Tehina, said he lived with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was autistic, and farming was one of his passions.

"He has dealt with struggles of fitting in and how to talk and open up about his feelings... with farming, he knows how hard farming is getting," she said.

"This summer with it being so hot the grass wasn't growing but you've got cattle to feed. He knows there are struggles with farming and you have to talk. YANA is for anyone who doesn't have anyone to talk to."

She said she and his dad were proud of their son.

"For him to come up with it, for him to be so passionate about it, for him to have taken part in it and how much he has raised — we can't thank people enough for their support," she said.

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