A Cumbrian teenager is on a mission to raise money for charity after her nana underwent life-saving surgery for a heart attack.
Grace Bell, 13, from St Bees, is fundraising for the British Heart Foundation and thanking doctors and nurses for performing a heart bypass on her 70-year-old nana Audrey Nolan.
Audrey was taken to hospital before Christmas last year after she fell and broke her leg. Whilst there, doctors discovered the fall was caused by a heart attack and she was taken to Freeman Hospital in Newcastle for treatment.
The Keswick school pupil is aiming to reach a goal of £500 by September and has already raised £200 through tickets for a raffle she is holding.
Grace has organised the raffle and fundraising effort entirely by herself and has pulled together several local businesses to offer dozens of top prizes.
The full list of prizes includes the following:
- Whinlatter Forest – 12-month membership worth £55
- Lake District Coast Aquarium, Maryport – one family day ticket worth £34
- Fusion Carlisle Trampoline Park – £10 voucher
- The Gather, Ennerdale – afternoon tea for two
- The Crafty Workshop, Workington – £15 voucher
- The Retreat hair studio, Egremont – hair blow dry
- Spectrum Hair Boutique, Frizington – £25 voucher
- Jazz Hair Studio, Maryport – £10 voucher
- Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway – family day ticket
- Irton Hall, Holmrook – £25 meal voucher
- Dixons Department Store, Whitehaven – £15 voucher
- The Crop Shop, Cleator Moor – Three bottles of alcohol and three six minute sunbed sessions
- The Wasdale Sawmill – £20 voucher
- Parkway Cinema in Dunmail Park, Workington – two cinema tickets
- Rheged, Penrith – one family movie voucher
- Safari Zoo, Barrow – one family day ticket
Bric-a-brac has also been donated to the raffle and Grace is planning to hold a coffee morning in September at Lamplugh Village Hall on Saturday 16 from 10am to 12am where the raffle prizes will be drawn.
Caroline Bell, Grace’s mum said: “Grace is just always looking to help anyone she can, me and her dad Jason are so proud of her, it’s so inspirational seeing her do what she is doing.
“She’s been fundraising for different causes since she was 10, my mum, brother and nephew are Type 1 diabetic, so she’s previously raised money for diabetes charities, but this year she’s done it specially for my mum.
“She’s done it all on her own, I’d say to her to get on and do the emails but she’s so independent and grown up, she’s wonderful.
“At this coffee morning she’ll be so excited having all the people there and organising it, she’s a little leader.”
Copeland MP Trudy Harrison also sent Grace a letter congratulating her on her fundraising efforts.
You can donate to Grace’s fundraiser here: gofundme-gracebell
