When Angus Bendall heard about the 29 miners who lost their lives in the Pike River Mine, he wanted to do something to help.
So the 11-year-old organised a sausage sizzle at his school, St George's, and raised just over $400 for the cause.
Angus is one of a number of StGeorge's pupils who have recently put their entrepreneurial skills to good use, and raised money for charity.
More than $700 from St George's will be donated to Wanganui's Pike River Mine appeal, organised by councillor Ray Stevens. The students' efforts have included selling fudge, organising the school disco and running a photography business.
Angus said he wanted to do something practical to help, after hearing about the tragedy on television.
Twenty-nine miners were killed in the Pike River coal mine on the West Coast after an explosion on November 19.
"We've been discussing [the tragedy] at school and I've seen lots about it on television. So I talked about it with my mum and said we should do something to raise some money," Angus said.
He said he was very happy with the amount of money raised, and was glad it would help the families of the miners.
Year 7 and 8 teacher Paula Conder said her students had been learning about financial literacy, and had to run their own business.
"They were charged a 'tax' which was donated to the charity of their choice. Some chose to give their money to other charities, but most of them gave it to the Pike River Mine appeal," Mrs Conder said.
