Published June 17th, 2020
Ocean Housing has praised the work of a 10 year old boy, who has been helping his neighbours in St Blazey in some imaginative ways.
Harley Gaulton, who is autistic, has been supporting his local community on Penarwyn Road by delivering fresh eggs and gifts to their doors during lockdown.
His mum, Jo Gaulton, said: “This all started as a way for Harley to try to make new friends and get to know others within the area. He is home schooled, and can often feel alone and isolated from the world around him.
“Over the last few weeks, he has been busy making daily deliveries to people on our road – including handing out rainbow hearts to hang in windows, and colouring packs for children – which have been really well received within the community. Not only is it brightening their day during these difficult times, but it’s putting a smile on his face as well.
“We have also been encouraging residents on our road to get creative with arts and crafts to show appreciation to all the keyworkers.”
Jo set up a Facebook group called Rainbow Your Street, where people can share their creations with others in the community. Residents have been doing everything from decorating the streets with chalk rainbows, to painting pebbles for people to find on their daily exercise.
Harley has also put up a tree in the centre of his community, which residents can decorate with ribbons as a memorial to remember loved ones lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Facebook group now has more than 500 members, with neighbours regularly interacting to share images of Harley’s acts of kindness.
Ocean Housing’s chief executive, Mark Gardner, said: “Our tenants are at the heart of everything we do at Ocean Housing, so when one of Harley’s neighbours told us about his fantastic work, we wanted to send him a gift to thank him for all his efforts.
“Residents of Penarwyn Road have really come together thanks to Harley’s enthusiasm. Lockdown has been very difficult for so many communities, with some people feeling isolated in their homes – so it’s great to hear about neighbours supporting each other in different ways.”
A Just Giving page has been set up with the aim of raising £2,000 to be able to broaden the support Harley is offering his community. The funds will be used to brighten up the local park, and put on family events during the school holidays. His long term goal is to be able to extend his support to other local areas and their communities.
