Autistic brother inspires fundraising
BY JENNIFER HYLAND A DEVOTED seven-year-old has raised hundreds of pounds to help provide specialist school equipment for her little brother after he was diagnosed with autism.
Ava McNaught has tirelessly raised cash for several charities over the last 18 months via coffee mornings, raffles, sponsored events and a GoFundMe page.
When her little brother Liam, six, who has autism, was starting school she began a campaign to raise money to buy sensory equipment for their school.
The youngster, from Lochgoilhead, Argyll, raised £430 for Lochgoilhead Primary School, Cairndow, for the equipment for Liam.
Last night, gran Michelle Madden said: “Ava was determined to help. She stays in a very rural area where there are only 30 kids at the school and wanted to raise awareness and understanding of the condition.
“Liam is the only child at Lochgoilhead Primary who has autism so Ava set about fundraising for sensory equipment,
“I am so proud of Ava. All her hard work and dedication has paid off. She is a lovely, bubbly and caring little girl.”
Ava has so far raised a whopping £1400 for charity Scottish Autism, which helps those diagnosed with the condition.
In October 2017, she and Liam completed a sponsored hill climb and scaled The Steeple, a 1240ft mountain near their village. With the support of her mum Gemma, 25, and Michelle, 45, Ava has also helped raise vital funds for other charities close to her heart.
She raised £470 for the Only in Nigeria Foundation – a Nigerian-based charity working to eradicate poverty through the provision of educational support.
The primary two pupil also raised £200 for Abby’s Army, which supports children and families affected by paediatric cancer.
Last week, Ava was crowned Miss Charity and Little Miss Scotland at the Junior Miss Scotland Pageant in East Kilbride after gaining praise for her fundraising efforts and dedication.
Michelle added: “She used to be a shy little girl but now she is very confident and her kind personality shines through.”
Last night, Ava said “I love taking part in pageants and I am very proud to be Little Miss Scotland 2019. I was very excited to take my crowns into school to show all of my friends.”