WOLFSCASTLE Over 60s club recently presented a cheque for £710 to the village's Belle Curran to go towards essential equipment for the brave local youngster.

Nine-year-old Belle was diagnosed with a rare and incurable lung disease, Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) at the age of two.

This is a rare condition which means that her lungs are stiff, hard and scarred making breathing a huge effort.

Belle relies on a wheelchair to get about, is on permanent oxygen and has to take a daily combination of different drugs.

This summer her family received confirmation that she had been put on the waiting list for a lung transplant and is hopeful that a donor will be found.

The money raised by the Over 60s club, through their harvest festival, Christmas collection, will go towards a hydrotherapy pool and a new laptop.

"There has been so much raised for Belle over the last 18 months," said Belle's mum Stella. "We have been quite overwhelmed by the whole thing."

Stella said that doctors at Great Ormond Street had recommended that Belle use a hydrotherapy pool to build up her muscles both pre and post-transplant. The family also intend to buy Belle a lap top so she can keep up to date both with her schoolwork and her friends.

"What you have done is going to make a huge difference to Belle," she told the over 60s. "Thank you so much."