When kind-hearted Isabel Thompson saw the plight of the victims of the Haiti earthquake, she immediately knew she wanted to help.

The eight-year-old pupil at Cypress Junior School, in South Norwood, was so upset when she watched the tragedy unfold on the news she came up with a plan to raise money to help the survivors.

Calling on her talents on a pogo stick, she set herself a fundraising challenge of jumping for five minutes non-stop in front of pupils in a school assembly.

And with the help of three friends, she designed posters with the words "Money + Pogo-sticking > Happy people of Haiti with food and water", to encourage schoolmates to sponsor her.

"I heard that the Haiti people were living on a golf course and there were about 300 people on there," Isabel explained.

"They didn't have much food or water or medicine. So I wanted to raise some money.

"It made me really sad and disappointed to see people living like that.

"They didn't want to go back to their homes because they were scared of the aftershocks.

"I have been watching the news every day. I hope that it gets better for them."

Isabel, a Year 4 pupil at the school on Cypress Road, has had a pogo stick for two years and can bounce non-stop for more than 10 minutes.

At first she kept falling off, but with hard work and determination rose to the challenge to become an expert jumper.

And she reckons she has such as a passion for the pastime as it reflects her own personality.

"I started practising and practising," she said. "You have to grip it with your legs and bounce and push off with your legs.

"I'm quite good at it now. My friends thought the challenge was really weird but they said it suits me because I am weird."

Isabel performed her pogo stick fundraiser in front of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils on February 2.

And her bouncy efforts raised £127.15 which will be passed on to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Headteacher Richard Slade says he is very proud of Isabel for coming up with the idea by herself.

"I think it's superb," he said. "She made it happen and raised a lot of money for people who need it. She's an absolute star."