Super siblings are taking on an 11-mile charity walk in memory of their late grandmother

Nina Spirit-Hawthorne, nine, and her brother Leon, seven, are joining their mum Naomi on a trek from Skelmorlie to Loch Thom and back.

The trio, alongside friend Julie Armenaud, are raising funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK's Big Step Forward drive, and have already collected over £800.

Naomi says she had wanted to help the charity since her mother died of the disease.

The pandemic cancelled her original plan but now she is able to honour her mum's memory alongside her family.

She said: “I lost my mother last September to pancreatic cancer and the day after she was married back in 1983 she had run the Great North Run with my brother and cousin.

“We thought it would be a fitting tribute to run this race again, and lots of my family and friends agreed with 19 of them ready to take part and raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

“Meanwhile my friend Julie, who was both touched by my mother’s death and who has also lost several people close to her through pancreatic cancer, organised to be part of the Big Step Forward campaign.

“She had organised a walk from Largs to Fairlie which we would have been supporting but when Covid-19 hit both of these events were cancelled.

“We were keen to do something so when I saw that the Big Step Forward had become a virtual event I was keen to get involved and we decided to do it as a family."

Naomi says that Nina and Leon are determined to raise as much money as possible in memory of their grandmother.

She said: “We originally set a target of £500, which the kids thought was way too much.

"They were stunned when we smashed that target on day one.

“We are now on the top 10 leaderboard for The Big Step Forward and our new revised target is £1,500."

The cash they collect will go towards treatment for the disease.

Naomi said: “We didn’t know much about pancreatic cancer before my mum was diagnosed.

“The outlook is so bleak and it was very hard to take it on board.

"We were one of the lucky ones as we had her for nine months.

“My children really miss their nanny and are keen to raise money to help so that other families get more time with their loved ones."

The Skelmorlie resident says the walk will be tough going for the children.

She said: “I felt it should be a challenge for the kids to inspire people to donate, and eight miles is no mean feat for a little one.

“I expect it will take the full day for them to walk that distance, especially as it is uphill as well.

“We have done a few practice walks to build up the distance so that they are prepared.

“Knowing that they are raising so much money will be inspiring for them though.

“If people could spare even a few pounds it would mean the world to us.

“My kids really want to help make sure no other families go through this and lose their nanny too young.”

Donations can be made at www.thebigstepforward.org.uk/fundraisers/naomispirit-hawthorne/the-big-step-forward-virtual