Meet the man, 26, who does a good deed every day... so why do so many people HATE him for it?
- Luke Cameron started his daily good deed challenge last January
- 26-year-old from Cheltenham created project in memory of a close friend
- Deeds include buying meals for strangers and doing chores for the elderly
When Luke Cameron decided to do a good deed every day for a year, he could never have anticipated how much it would change his life.
The 26-year-old from Cheltenham made the decision after a close family friend died from cancer in 2013.
He started writing a Good Deed blog and logged every kind gesture he made on the site, which has now amassed thousands of followers.
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Luke Cameron (left) started his daily good deed challenge last January in memory of family friend Maura (right), who passed away in October 2013
The kind actions range from taking out the rubbish for his elderly neighbour, to baking lemon drizzle cakes and sending them round to his friends and family.
He has also bought countless meals for strangers at places like McDonald's and even paid for a person's petrol just because they were stood next to him in the queue at the station tills.
In total, Luke estimates that he has spent £3,000 in the last 12 months on good deeds, despite the fact that he was only earning the wage of a part-time shop worker.
He said: 'In a world of taking selfies with your "besties" and Instagramming pictures of your new handbag and Rolex watch, we forget to think about anyone else but ourselves.
'Our generation has forgotten to care about others, because we are too self-obsessed to even care what others are going through.'
In total, Luke estimates that he has spent £3,000 in the last 12 months on good deeds, including buying meals for strangers that he meets in restaurants
But while many people have been inspired by Luke's blog, he has also been on the receiving end of sceptical responses.
Luke said: 'The majority of people love it. I have my haters, but that's a given really. I try not to dwell too much on other people's opinions.
'Most people to begin with didn't understand why I was doing what I was doing and became very reserved about me helping them.
'Scepticism was rife among my monetary good deeds and some people questioned my motives and others thought I wanted something in return.'
Luke decided to do a year of good deeds after a good family friend passed away in October 2013.
He said: 'Maura was like a mother to me. She was hands-down the most incredible and inspirational woman I will ever meet.
'When a neighbour needed food, she gave her last potato. When a friend needed money, she gave her last pound.
'She gave her whole life selflessly helping others around her and at her funeral over 4,000 people queued for 3 hours to get in and pay their respects.'
Luke now keeps a sweet bucket on his desk, for people to grab a quick snack. He also spent an evening putting kind messages on colleagues' desks
Luke used his love of baking in a good deed - he made lemon drizzle cakes and set them to friends and family. He also bought a bunch of flowers for a friend who had received some bad luck
Last December, Luke decided that January 1 would be the day that he kick-started 365 daily good deeds.
He began with some small gestures - on New Year's Day he said 'Happy New Year' to a woman serving his coffee in a Tesco cafe.
On the second day, he bought food and drink for a couple of homeless people in his local town centre.
A few days later, he handed over some spare change to a lady who didn't have enough coins at the parking meter.
Since starting his challenge, Luke also entered a competition run by Utility Aid to win the job of National Philanthropy Manager, a.k.a The Nicest Job In Britain.
His Good Deed challenge convinced the organisers that he was the right man for the job and so, for the whole of 2015, Luke will be paid to travel the UK and assist 45 different charities.
Since starting his challenge, Luke also entered a competition run by Utility Aid to win the job of National Philanthropy Manager, aka The Nicest Job In Britain
Luke doing one of his good deeds - he realised a customer in his shop had left their mobility scooter in the rain, so brought it inside and wiped it down
He has also decided to extend his challenge for another year and claims the experiment has completely changed his life.
He said: 'I think I have healed myself by helping others.
'It really changes your perspective on life when you help people. You become so much more grateful for what you have.
'I did this purely to help people as a social experiment. I wanted to see how helping others for a year can really help yourself.
'I've gone from working part time in a shop to now the national philanthropy manager where I am making my life's work about helping others and I've raised thousands for charity.'
Luke also created Cards For Kindness - a pack of cards with good deeds that include: 'Tell your mum you love her,' and 'Tell a stranger they look beautiful.'
The cards cost £5 for a deck and 25 per cent of each sale goes to the British Heart Foundation.
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