A WINCHESTER school pupil is raising money for charity in memory of her mother.

Eleanor Scougall, 12, campaigned for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to be one of St Swithun’s charitable causes this year.

She is hoping to raise enough money to fund the building of a new lifeboat and has raised £156,000 of her £214,000 goal so far.

The Year 8 pupil started raising funds for the RNLI with her family in 2015 after her mother, Tara, died from cancer in the same year.

Eleanor said: “The project has been a very positive experience for me.

“I have learned some good fundraising skills and managed to confront my fears when I spoke in front of 500 people at school and 100 at the charity ball we organised.

“I have also realised the power of the supportive, kind and energetic community at St Swithun’s.”

The funds aim to provide a new B-Class Atlantic 85 Inshore Lifeboat, which will be stationed in Lough Ree, Ireland, and Eleanor has requested that it would be named The Tara Scougall, in her mother’s honour.

St Swithun’s headmistress, Jane Gandee, said: “Our lifeboat initiative embodies service, duty and working together to achieve something ambitious; values that are embedded in our ethos at St Swithun’s.

“We are very proud to support the appeal and Eleanor.”