'I fundraise for veterans all year round'

Ruby started fundraising when she was four years old

A 12-year-old girl has raised £12,000 for the Royal British Legion (RBL), selling handmade poppy crafts.

Ruby, who lives near Shawbury, in Shropshire, began her fundraising campaign when she was four years old.

"When I was younger I attended the Remembrance parade like normal. It was the first year I took into consideration that we only do this once a year," she told the BBC.

"We went to our local pub, and I asked my mum, 'Why do we only do this once a year?' And she couldn't answer my question because she herself didn't know."

"From that day onwards I decided I wanted to raise money for the RBL," she said.

She started by collecting glasses in pubs for a couple of pounds before moving on to make and sell what she described as "flimsy paper cards".

Items on Ruby's stall include handmade cards and candles

"As I've grown older my stall products have grown better," she said.

"I craft things like cards… candles, and I've written poems as well."

Ruby has a Facebook page, called Ruby Raises!, which has more than 400 members, and her mum posts updates on her fundraising.

She also mans a stall at events and places like shopping centres, collecting for the RBL - telling the BBC it takes up all her time.

In the course of her charity work, she has spoken to veterans and heard their stories from war - with some even walking away "in floods of tears" because of what she does.

"They've lost friends, family or... they've come back and the RBL has saved their lives," she said.

Ruby says she often hears stories from veterans about their experiences

"She does it relentlessly, she does not give up, she has developed this true sense of accomplishment and determination, ensuring that she makes the best products to ensure that our veterans are seen all the time," said her mum, Ellie.

"My favourite bit of the whole thing is actually standing back and just watching.

"The way that she just takes the older generation's hands, she will just stand there and have that conversation and really truly listen and absorb exactly what they're telling her.

"The way that she reads her poems can make the biggest, strongest, burliest men crumple into a mess - by just being herself."

The money raised from the Poppy Appeal goes towards various forms of support for the Armed Forces community, including financial, emotional, healthcare and rehabilitation, mental health services and commemoration and advocacy.