AN Ellesmere Port eight-year-old who has raised thousands of pounds for a local hospital is launching her fourth annual Christmas appeal.

Poppy-Mae Jones is asking for a range of gifts which will be donated to children who unfortunately have to spend time in hospital over Christmas.

The young fundraiser is sadly no stranger to hospital visits, having had to battle complex health issues while growing up.

She suffers from hypermobility spectrum disorder, as well as possible neuropathic gut pain, having suffered daily pain with her bowels since she was a baby.

Despite the setbacks, Poppy-Mae, with help from her mum Sharon, has organised a series of fundraising events in recent years.

She has raised nearly £12,000 for Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and her efforts saw her win an Echo Award for Fundraising in December 2020.

Having had a successful arts and crafts appeal organised this March, Poppy-Mae is now asking people to give generously so children who have to spend Christmas in Alder Hey Children's Hospital or the Countess of Chester Hospital can still make the most of the festive season.

This year she is asking for a mix of selection boxes, sweet tubes and small gifts for children.

To donate, people can either visit Poppy-Mae's Justgiving page, where funds can be donated, or visit her Amazon wishlist page, where people can purchase specific requested items.