A ‘LITTLE girl with a huge heart’ was named the Young Charity Champion at the 2018 Warrington Guardian Inspiration Awards.

Ruby Peters, from Woolston, raised thousands of pounds for the hospital that has cared for her since the age of two by organising a huge sponsored run at her school.

The event saw hundreds of youngsters at Woolston Community Primary School running as many laps of the school field as they could in June.

More than £3,000 was raised during the sponsored run, going towards Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and a new running track at the school.

Ruby, who was a year six pupil at the time and now attends King’s Leadership Academy, has received care and support from Alder Hey for nearly a decade.

The 11-year-old said: "I’m really happy – I can’t believe it.

"Alder Hey have helped me so much during my life – they’ve done so much for me and I just wanted to give something back."

Ruby has previously drawn pictures to sell at school and sold her own toys at fairs in order to raise funds for the hospital, and collected Christmas presents and Easter eggs to donate to sick children.

Her dad Phillip said: "I’m over the moon – she just wants to do so much to help and I’m so proud of her.

"Even on her birthday, when she woke up she said she wanted to go and take a cheque to Alder Hey – that was the first thought on her mind.

"The money she’s raised, and the Christmas and Easter gifts she gives to them – she just loves doing it, and she’s raised a lot of money for school too.

"She’s got a heart of gold and she just wanted to give something back."