A DEVOTED dad who pushed his daughter in her wheelchair from Coniston to Barrow has earned a trophy for his charitable efforts.

Nine-year-old Connie Elson, of Cartmel, has a rare degenerative condition called MLD which means she can no longer walk or talk.

During this year's Coniston to Barrow Walk, her dad Ian pushed her the whole 21 miles, raising a record £5,142 for the charity Butterfly Hugs. They were accompanied by mum Nicola and five friends.

At the recent awards ceremony for the Keswick to Barrow and Coniston to Barrow Walks, Ian was awarded the Pierce Armstrong Memorial Trophy for the individual who raised the most money for charity. He and Connie also helped their team secure the Alice Pyne Memorial Trophy for the team who raised the most, with an overall total of £6,230.

"It's her trophy not mine," said Ian, thanking everyone who had supported the family.

"Everyone was really pulling together and the amount of people was amazing."

The Butterfly Hugs group was set up by mum Nicola and friends Rachel Pocklington and Sian Hunter, to raise awareness of rare childhood illnesses such as MLD (metachromatic leukodystrophy) and to support families in need and put them in touch with other people affected.

There is no cure for MLD, but seven-year-old Joe, who has the condition, has had pioneering gene therapy in Italy to prevent the onset of symptoms. Tragically, Connie could not be treated as her symptoms had already begun. Dad Ian said that Joe was doing "fantastically well" after the treatment.

The family have now set their fundraising sights on a major live music event next year, at eight venues in Cartmel. To find out more about the charity or to donate, visit www.butterflyhugs.co.uk. And if you would like to be part of the Butterfly Hugs team in next year's Keswick to Barrow or Coniston to Barrow Walk, email sianhunter88@gmail.com or phone 015395-58607.