Two Portishead children have raised more than £750 to help a local animal charity.

Nine-year-old Madison and Finley five and three quarters, each completed 385 laps of their garden in a sponsored walk to support Little Paws Rescue, a cat rescue organisation based in Portbury. The distance the children walked is equivalent to two journeys from their home to the rescue centre and back, a journey their mum Tammy, one of the charity’s trustees, would make every week before the pandemic.

Tammy said: “The children are very much involved with the charity, often spending time helping to look after and provide attention for the cats and kittens. They also help when we organise fundraisers and are very much aware that during the current social restrictions all our fundraising events like car boot sales and tombolas have had to be cancelled. Even though all our staff are unpaid volunteers any charity supporting animals has costs to meet and the cancellation of our fundraising events has had worrying consequences for Little Paws.”

The organisation is now clocking up debts with vet bills mounting. Recently, a rescued cat that experienced complications whilst giving birth and needed emergency surgery which resulted in a £1,000 vet bill. In addition to unforeseen surgery or treatment the charity has the usual costs of flea and worm treatments and microchips.

Tammy added: “The children love helping out and came up with the idea of doing a sponsored walk themselves. They did it over five days – Monday to Friday – and worked it around home schooling.

We looked at what would really make a difference and decided to set a fundraising target of £350. We are all absolutely over the moon that more than double their target has now been reached. We are keeping the Just Giving page open for a few weeks more as the children are hoping upon hope that they can reach £1,000.”

Madison said: “It would be our dream to reach £1,000. That would help the cats and kittens in lots of different ways.”

Finley added: “Thank you everyone the cats will like us a lot now, and you!”

Little Paws Rescue is a privately run registered charity that cares for and re-homes stray and unwanted cats and kittens into responsible, loving forever homes.

Run by Tracey Bryant, two other trustees and a small but dedicated team of volunteers, the charity covers North Somerset, Bristol and the surrounding areas.

To find out more about Little Paws Rescue visit www.littlepawsrescue.co.uk or to make a donation to Madison and Finley’s fundraiser for the charity visit their Just Giving page at

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/littlepawsrescue-portbury?fbclid=IwAR1FvK-WBcEDs-qYzaIo1rFXrednajmQLXZa3biaCQJ2PLhi6KuWp-Xr9bg