BBCA ten-year-old boy has started a business cleaning gravestones after seeing the poor state of plots on a visit to grandmother’s grave.
Ben, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, has also pledged to donate 10% of everything he earns to a charity that provides headstones for families who have lost children but cannot afford to pay for a grave.
A Facebook post about his business venture, written by his mother Michelle, has had thousands of likes and shares.
She told the BBC people had been very supportive of the idea.
“He was cleaning his gran’s grave and he just looked round and he saw other ones that looked, in his words, a bit sad,” she said.
“You could see they had been left for such a long time and I said ‘not everyone has time to come and do it’ [clean the graves].”
Michelle suggested to Ben that he start a business cleaning the gravestones and they set about researching what cleaning products should be used to ensure no damage is caused to the stonework.
‘Perfect fit’
Their idea has had a warm response on social media.
“People have just been so lovely and so supportive,” Michelle said.
“It really has warmed all of our hearts all through the family. It has been really nice.”
Ben has decided that 10% of everything he makes will be donated to the charity Stevie Stones.
“We just thought it fits so perfectly because they supply headstones to those families who can’t afford a memorial to their children,” she said.
“He’s told me to get on with it [getting the business up-and-running].
“He has said ‘make my website Mum, come on let’s get it done’.”
