A six-year-old girl from Barrow has raised £1,000 and counting for Furness General Hospital after pledging to run or walk a mile every day in January.

Emme-Rose Deakin has smashed her initial target of £150 after the Covid-19 pandemic inspired her to support the NHS.

Proud dad Phillip Deakin said he felt 'incredibly proud' of his daughter and her decision to embark on the month-long challenge.

He said: “The idea for this fundraiser came about when Emme-Rose heard that we were about to head into another national lockdown.

“She wanted to say thank you for all of the hard work of the NHS staff and to help the 'poorly' people in hospital.

“Emme-Rose has never done anything like this before and the idea was entirely her own.

"We are incredibly proud of what she has achieved and we are blown away by the support she has received.”

Funds raised by the youngster will be donated to the Bay Hospitals Charity and then allocated to support patient experience and care at Furness General Hospital.

Heidi Bowron, charity coordinator at Bay Hospitals Charity, said: “Emme-Rose is such a little legend for taking on this challenge and making such an amazing contribution to her local hospital.

“It’s really inspiring to see that someone so young has been willing to put in such a massive effort to support our dedicated NHS colleagues.”

Bay Hospitals Charity funds the latest equipment for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust to help make patients more comfortable and ensure they get the best possible care and treatment.

If you would like to donate and support your local NHS hospital, contact Bay Hospitals Charity on 01524 516064 or visit www.bayhospitalscharity.org

And there is still time to donate to Emme-Rose's fund-raising effort at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/phillip-deakin1