Morpeth schoolgirl finishes 1,000-mile charity challenge

Family and friends cheered on the youngster during her final lap

A schoolgirl who set a challenge of running 1,000 miles for charity has crossed her final finishing line.

Sienna from Morpeth, Northumberland, did her first jog in 2021 aged just nine, and has been running a mile a day ever since.

The 11-year-old, who was backed by Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, ran her final lap on Saturday, as she aims to raise £5,000 for Save the Children.

Mum Salwa said: "It went well, she's glad to have a break from running now."

Family and friends turned out at Carlisle Park to cheer on the youngster during her final lap.

Sienna came up with the idea after seeing her mum become upset while watching a news report about children in Yemen and Syria.

Sienna completed her final mile on Saturday morning in Morpeth's Carlisle Park

Salwa, who spent much of her childhood and adolescence in a war-torn country, had been teaching Sienna and her siblings, Ben, 13, and Tamara, 15, how fortunate they were to grow up in a safe environment.

"She ran straight up to her bedroom and came down with all £30.25 of her savings from her money box and asked me to send the money away to help save those children," she said.

"I thought that was the end of it, but the next day she came downstairs with her trainers in hand and announced that she'd spoken to Ben and Tamara and they were going to help her run 1,000 miles to help save the children of war," she added.

'Better, kinder place'

Sienna said she wanted the world to be a "better, kinder place" for all children "because mummy was once one of those children".

"It really doesn't matter how big you are, or how strong you are, it's the size of your heart that really matters, and the courage to keep trying is what really, really, matters, no matter how much or how little you raise," Sienna said.

Salwa says she has been blown away by her daughter, who has raised nearly £4,500 so far.

"There have been times when Sienna hasn't felt like going for a run, but she laces up her shoes every day and tells me it's time for us to go and do our one mile.

"I know she'll be over the moon to stop running - but quitting has never been an option for her," Salwa said.