Bishop's Stortford College Pre-Prep besties raise over £1,000 for Barnardo's by walking a combined 100km in 5 weeks

Come rain or shine, two five-year-old girls have completed a mission to raise £1,000 for vulnerable children – by walking a combined 100 kilometres (62 miles).

Sofia Kramer and Victoria Tejwani, who live in Ugley and attend Bishop's Stortford College Pre-Prep School, have been friends since they were one.

They have been working together to walk a combined 100k in five weeks in aid of Barnardo's.

Sofia's mum Ella, 24, a law student who used to attend the College, and Victoria's parents, Roger and Helen, are immensely proud of their conscientious daughters.

"Both girls know the importance of helping others and being kind to everyone, especially those in need. They've learnt a lot about kindness and charity from their parents and school," said Ella.

"When asked what charity they wanted to support, they said they wanted to help children, leading them to support Barnardo’s.

"The girls are aware they have lovely, happy and safe homes – they're also aware this isn't the case for many children. They wanted to help those in need so they can also have happy and safe home environments."

The diminutive dynamic duo decided to take on a challenge outdoors after the first lockdown helped them connect with nature.

"Both girls were spending more and more time outdoors over the year and it increased their love for walking and exploring – especially jumping in muddy puddles!" said Ella.

"Some walks have been completed together and some separately, depending on the local restrictions due to Covid. The walks have taken place around Ugley, Elsenham and Manuden."

When the second, England-wide lockdown ended last week, Sofia and Victoria were able to complete their challenge by doing a final 10k walk together at the weekend. "They've walked rain or shine and fuelled themselves with plenty of snacks and sweet treats," Ella said.

During the first lockdown, Sofia also raised £702 in sponsorship for the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust Charitable Fund by walking 5k a day for one week.

So far, the girls have raised almost £1,200 for Barnardo's. To add to their total, visit their donation page at justgiving.com/fundraising/sofiavictoria.

Earlier this year, Ben Hardy – a virtually blind five-year-old Year 1 classmate of Victoria's – raised around £2,000 for Bishop's Stortford Food Bank by doing a sponsored indoor climb.