A SIX-year-old schoolgirl has raised hundreds of pounds for charity by completing the Mini Great North Run in support of her disabled sister.

Kayla Henry, from Newton Hall, Durham, ran of the 1.5km route around Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside in just over ten minutes on Saturday morning.

Her efforts have so far raised £550 for the charity Group B Strep Support (GBSS).

Kayla’s sister Ellie, ten, contracted neonatal meningitis at two weeks old, as a result of Group B streptococcus (GBS), an infection-causing bug which kills 75 babies a year in the UK.

Ellie survived but is registered blind, has cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs and severe epilepsy and needs 24-hour care.

Her mother, Tracey Henry, said: “Kayla wanted to run for longer. Ellie was really proud of her. She was cheering her on.
“The atmosphere was brilliant.”

Kayla was joined on the run by Sarah Preston, Ellie’s carer.
To sponsor Kayla, visit gbss.org.uk/fundraiser/index.php?id=KaylaHenry

GBSS is campaigning to make it law for pregnant women to be warned of the dangers of GBS and offered a test to spot the bug. For more information, visit screening.nhs.uk