Ella, 10, raises £1,400 with garden fete inspired by her grandfathers (From Bournemouth Echo)

Ella, 10, raises £1,400 with garden fete inspired by her grandfathers

4:00pm Saturday 6th October 2012 in News By Jim Durkin

HUNDREDS of people attended a charity fete organised by a plucky 10-year-old Poole schoolgirl.

The event, in aid of the Diabetes UK and Bowel Cancer UK charities, has already raised £1,400 – and the money is still rolling in.

Young Ella Wilson, a pupil of Upton Junior School, decided to organise the fete as one granddad has diabetes and the other is recovering from bowel cancer.

After the event, on the driveway of her grandma and granddad’s house in Dorchester Road, Upton, on Saturday, she said: “I want to say a really big thank you to everyone who came along and supported my fete.

“I would also like to thank everyone who donated prizes.”

After she decided on the fete, the youngster wrote to various businesses across the conurbation.

Among those donating was Poole-based ethical cosmetics company Lush, Brittany Ferries and various local restaurants.

Her mum Jo told the Daily Echo: “She is a very confident young girl. I am very, very proud.

“If she could make this an annual event, I sure she would. We gave her a little bit of help but she’s done a lot of this on her own.

“She organised which stalls she wanted and sent these letters off to different businesses. She got some brilliant raffle prizes.

“She’s been dying to do something like this for ages, and after her grandfather had bowel cancer, last year, she thought now was the right time.

“Who knows? Maybe she has a future career in party management or even politics? Although, she wants to be an actress when she’s older.”