A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl has become the youngest volunteer for a children's charity.
Jennifer Kemp has joined her mother Sharon in the campaign to send sick children on a trip to Disneyland organised by Caudwell Children.
The schoolgirl, from Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire, has already taken part in a fun run and been out collecting donations on behalf of the organisation which supporters disabled children and their families across the UK.
The charity's Destination Dreams programme sees a total of 25 youngsters, each with life limiting or life threatening illnesses, invited on the trip.
Mrs Kemp, a customer service analyst for Barclays, said her daughter had been truly supportive since she was selected to volunteer.
She said: “I desperately wanted to be chosen as a volunteer on the Destination Dreams trip, as it’s such a rewarding experience, but I have to admit that when I heard that I had been selected I was extremely nervous about how Jennifer would react.
“Obviously, she’s aware that the charity has to raise money to cover the associated costs of the holiday, but I simply couldn’t believe it when the first thing that she said, when I told her that I was going, was: 'What can I do to help raise the money mummy?'
“It was so sweet, she didn’t say that she didn’t want me to go and start feeling sorry for herself, she was just supportive, extremely excited, and began coming up with loads of ideas on how we could raise the cash.”
Mrs Kemp added that her daughter arranged a barbeque last weekend, but she has had to reign in some of her more outlandish fundraising ideas.
The two have registered to take part in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run Family Mile in October and Jennifer also arranged a bucket collection, dressed as a princess.
Her mother will also be climbing Ben Nevis on 12 September with some of her colleagues.
Victoria Bruce, regional family services co-ordinator for Scotland, said: “It’s tremendous to see so much compassion in someone so young. Jennifer visited Disney World when she was three-years-old and she really wants to help disabled children to have the same magical experience that she had.
“I’m always on the lookout for volunteers and fundraisers so hopefully, people will follow Jennifer’s lead. With the publics support we can deliver even more specialist equipment, therapies, treatments and family support services, to the 770,000 registered disabled children in the UK.”
Caudwell Children also runs an Enable Sport programme for talented disabled athletes. It estimates that around 400,000 of the country's disabled children at living in or on the margins of poverty.
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