A FORMER Stourport High School student has celebrated reaching a fundraising milestone.

WaiLo Li, 30, has now collected more than £40,000 for charity over the last six years through Project TOM, the voluntary group she founded which encourages young people to get together and support good causes.

The final £800 required to reach the five-figure target was raised in partnership with Chung Ying Restaurant Group after staff donated all of their tips for one month.

Funds raised with the company, which has two Cantonese eateries in Birmingham, will contribute to the Oxfam Hong Kong’s Happy Face programme which alleviates poverty in the QiaoShang Village in the Guizhou Province.

WaiLo Li, a communications manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to contribute to the Happy Face initiative and pleased to have been able to help, even in such a small way.

"We would like to thank all at the Chung Ying Group for donating their tips in support of this project and we are grateful for the long-term support with our charity events and worthy causes around the world.”

Project TOM was established in May 2008 by WaiLo Li with the aim of doing good deeds and helping those less fortunate in a bid to make the world a better place.

Volunteers get together two or three times a year to fundraise and support various charities around the world, with a focus on emergency relief, poverty and education for children in East Asia.

The non-profit group, which has 62 active members, has held 21 events, raised £40,015 and supported 58,536 beneficiaries since it was founded.