Poulton schoolgirl smashes fundraising target for Brian House Children's Hospice with sponsored silence

But Ava, ten, a Poulton St Chad's pupil, did just that - raising over £1000 more than her initial target of £100.

Following a severe bout of tonsillitis which kept her off school for nearly a year, Ava, who lives off Blackpool Old Road, missed her friends and spent many days feeling miserable and in pain.

She began thinking about other children with life-limiting conditions and how they and their families coped, which sparked a desire to raise as much money as possible to help them.

Ava set out to raise £100 for Brian House Children's Hospice with a sponsored six-hour silence - but to date has raised £1145 for the charity.

Ava's mum Kathryn said: "She did so well, I was really proud of her. We kept her busy for the day so she managed to stay silent for the whole six hours.

"We took her for lunch at Thyme in Poulton and all the waitresses gave her donations, then we surprised her with her school friends at Stanley Park's bandstand and she burst into tears.

"She was overwhelmed and relieved she had done it, and she can't wait to hand over the money she's raised to Brian House.

"She is already thinking about her next fundraiser, so she's really keen to keep helping others."

Michelle Lonican, community fundraising manager at Brian House, added: “Ava is an incredibly young lady, and an inspiration to all of us. She has done something truly amazing after going through such a challenging time herself and we are honoured that she chose to think of our very fragile children after what she has been through.

“She has raised a fantastic amount of money, which will help us to look after local children and their families who need us most; creating wonderful memories and creating full lives, however short.”

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