CHARITY: Lovely Max's cash kisses for charity

And big sister Georgia decided his affectionate ways could be put to good use when their grandfather passed away - selling Max’s kisses for £1 at his funeral to raise money for the hospice that cared for him.

The entrepreneurial ten-year-old got her little brother to plant kisses on the cheeks of friends and family at Eric Holland’s wake at the Green Dragon pub in Kimberworth, raising £114 for Rotherham Hospice.

Max and Georgia’s mum Rachel, of Rotherham, said: “There was a wonderful turnout at dad’s wake and before we knew it, the kids had started a collection by selling Max’s kisses. Dad would have been so proud of them. They brought a little bit of a light to the sadness of the day.

“It was all Georgia’s idea. We call her the next Karen Brady; she’s full of inventive ways of making money.”

Eric’s widow, and the children’s grandma, Christine Holland, said: “No one can resist a kiss from Max, so they raised a good sum. It’s going to the hospice to support its marvellous home community team. They were always there to help us, particularly in the last few weeks of Eric’s life, and and we can never thank them enough.”

Peter Bradley, the hospice’s director of marketing and fundraising, said: “We are very grateful to Georgia and Max. They came up with a wonderful, heart-warming way of raising funds for us and must have brought smiles to so many faces.”

Elsewhere in the region, May Lester, of Sheffield, is preparing to trek across the Sahara Desert to raise money for the MS Society, in honour of her mum who lives with progressive multiple sclerosis.

May, aged 25, of Sharrow, is hoping to raise £2,500 for research into the condition and to fund support for people affected by MS.

May’s mum, Sarah, 58, was diagnosed with MS 20 years ago and May says her mum’s condition has had a massive impact on her whole family.

“MS is really awful, but the fact that my mum’s MS is progressive is the most difficult,” said May, who will complete the challenge in November over the course of nine days.

“We know that she’s never going to get better and that’s been the hardest thing for our family. Mum really takes it in her stride though, and is constantly thinking of others before herself – myself and my brother particularly – and she’s always smiling no matter how she’s feeling. She’s the best woman I know.

“I’m always trying new activities and I wanted to mix that with raising money for a cause that was really close to my heart. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’ve had a huge amount of support, particularly from my mum who was my first sponsor.

“I think the reality of it will hit me when I arrive, before we start walking across the sand dunes. Even though my mum can’t do things like this anymore, I’ll be doing it for her every step of the way. I know this is only way I can help other families affected by MS.”

Visit May’s Sahara Trek Just giving Page to donate.

In Barnsley, the family and friends of a man who died from an incurable brain tumour have decided to take on an incredible 42-peak challenge in his memory.

Martyn Wright, the son of the late Ron, will lead the team of five on the three-day challenge in the Lake District this weekend, which will see them cover 66 miles and climb a total of 28,000 feet.

They will set off on Friday, the 11th anniversary of Ron’s death and will have to cover at least 14 peaks a day in order to stay on track.

Martyn said: “My Dad was a wonderful man who was absolutely devoted to his family. He was a huge inspiration to me and my sisters.

“Tragically we lost dad very quickly and we’ve chosen to take this challenge on in support of national charity Brain Tumour Research.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/Martyn-Wright5 to donate.

‘Roundabout’ has been chosen by the Sheffield branch of Interserve Learning &Employment as one of their chosen charities, and the organisation is helping to kickstart some of its refurbishments. The Sheffield charity, which supports around 150 young homeless people in Sheffield every day, is currently fundraising to refurbish No 11, the property next door to its emergency hostel, which provides five self-contained flats and a longer term home for eight young people.

Roundabout Fundraising and Communications Manager Ruth Gage said: “Refurbishment on No 11 can now begin in July; this property is vital to helping break the cycle of homelessness.”

Also in the region

* Sheffield broker IFM Insurance has announced plans to sponsor the Hallamshire Golf Day in June, in support of Neurocare.

48 teams will take part in the golf day, to raise money to buy lifesaving equipment for use in the neuro wards of Sheffield’s NHS hospitals.

* Sheffield bar Bloo 88is supporting local youth housing charity Roundabout, by donating pizzas to participants taking part in the charity’s Sleep Out event on Friday.

* Girls from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Yorkshire Association have raised £245 for Save The Children. Every year young Ahmadi girls raise funds for charities to help less fortunate members of society.