A WINCHESTER girl has raised thousands of pounds for charity through a variety of challenges.

St Swithun's student Æliana Le Grand has chalked up over £5,000 from her several fundraisers so far.

Her most recent fundraising challenge has been for Smile Train, raising £750 for the world’s largest cleft-focused charity, which empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally.

READ MORE: Charitable event headlined by Southampton star Francis Benali

St Swithun's School (Image: Contributed)

Æliana was inspired to organise a fundraising event for Smile Train after watching a TV programme where she saw children who had an untreated cleft, learning that surgery isn't readily available for all children in certain countries.

Æliana learned that children with a cleft often face challenges with breathing, eating, hearing and speaking. This led Æliana to set a goal of raising money as part of her school’s (St Swithuns School in Winchester) ‘Community Flourish Award’. 

Æliana organised an 800-meter swim and along with her friend Willow at the fundraiser event, called "Bake and Bloom".

SEE MORE: Charity coffee morning hoping to raise cash for Home-Start Winchester

At Bake and Bloom, guests enjoyed a variety of delicious cakes, including Mango and Passion Fruit, Mango and Cardamom, Lemon Drizzle, Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Æliana's favourite, Pistachio Courgette cake.

To complement the event theme, Willow helped by arranging and selling beautiful bouquets of wildflowers.

Besides raising awareness for Smile Train and their work, the event successfully brought together family and friends, raising an impressive £770 which may be matched by Æliana’s dad’s company leading to an incredible total of over £1,500.

Æliana said: “When we reached £750 I was really happy.  At the Bake sale one of my friends from school, Lizzie, came with her whole family and bought a lot of cakes. 

"Lots of people from the French Families Group came as well and at one point we were all speaking French – so that was really fun.  But the best part was getting lots of money for Smile Train.”

Æliana’s mum, Janeen said: “As parents we are very proud of her and she is still only 9!”

Looking ahead, Æliana is setting a £5000 fundraising goal for her next charity fundraiser in Year 6, her last year in school before starting Senior school.