AN EX-ALTRINCHAM College of Arts pupil has been rewarded for her tremendous charity work.

Kirsty Ashton, 19, has been given the Princess Diana Gold Award for helping raise thousands of pounds for children with life threatening diseases.

The Diana award was set up to reward people who do good work in their community and since it began has been awarded to 27,000 people. As the award celebrated its 10 year anniversary this year, they decided to introduce the special Gold Award.

Kirsty suffers from Neurofibromatosis. It is a genetic condition which causes benign tumours to grow on the nerve endings and effects one in every 4,000 births worldwide.

This year Kirsty is aiming to raise £80,000 to send 30 or 40 children and their families to Centre Parcs for five days whilst she has already raised £70,000 to send 100 ill children to Lapland.

One of her ideas to raise money is to stay in a haunted place overnight, with the medical staff who treat her.

Kirsty is no stranger to receiving awards for her work as she was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year award at the 2008 Manchester City Council’s Community Awards in raising money for the “Wish Upon A Star” charity.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/kirstysstory or for more information on Kirsty www.kirstysstory.co.uk/