A CARING schoolgirl from Elderslie has been named as a finalist in a prestigious competition to honour people in the community who are determined to help others.

Mariya Javed has been selected for the Evening Times Community Champions Award thanks to her tireless fundraising for a charity set up by her mum.

Another Star in the Sky was by created by Sameena Javed after the sudden death of son Ahmar at the age of 13 due to a rare condition which caused a haemorrhage in his brain.

READ MORE: Mum sets up charity in memory of 13-year-old son

Mariya, 10, who attends the village’s Wallace Primary, has embarked on an impressive range of fundraising activities to support the charity in its aim of setting up a rare conditions unit at Glasgow Children’s Hospital.

Mariya has taken part in two Glasgow Kiltwalks, three 10k charity walks, bucket collections, and an endurance challenge set up by the British Martial Arts Federation in Bield Hall in Paisley. 

The Gazette: Mariya with her brother AhmarMariya with her brother Ahmar

This involved participants climbing and descending flights of stairs – with bouts of circuit training thrown in for good measure.

Mariya, the youngest to take part, managed a total of 120 ascents and descents.

READ MORE: Tributes paid to tragic schoolboy Ahmar

Mariya has been named as a finalist in the Young Award North West category of the competition, run by The Gazette’s sister paper, the Evening Times.

She said: “I like doing fundraising and charity work because I am helping other people and keeping my brother’s memory alive. This is what he would have wanted too, so I am doing it for him and also so that my little brother will know all about the big brother he never got the chance to meet." 

You can vote for Mariya and other finalists here. 

Voting closes on October 22.

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