A special schoolgirl wasn't afraid to do everything she could to raise money for a hospital.

In October ten-year-old Madeleine Cale - with a little help from her father Dominic - decorated the front of her house in Weymouth with a Halloween theme of cobwebs, spiders, skulls and skeletons, with a few more scary props inside to frighten any visitors.

The decorations were to raise money for the Fortuneswell Unit at Dorset County Hospital. Maddy chose the unit after her grandfather had to have chemotherapy at the hospital.

With the word of what Maddy was doing quickly spreading around the town, dozens of friends, neighbours and other Weymouth residents visited the house and made a contribution. 

Maddy's efforts raised a total of £250 and she recently visited the Fortuneswell Unit to hand over her cheque. 
Maddy was accompanied on her trip to the hospital’s Fortuneswell Unit by dad Dominic and her grandparents Dave and Rose. 

Maddy was very excited to visit the unit and to meet staff who worked on the ward. 

She said: "We decorate the house every Halloween but this year I wanted to do something to help the hospital who has been looking after my granddad.” 

She also explained that at her school, St Augustines, she had stood on a chair and told her class all about what she had done. 

Dominic added: “We are all really proud of her – it’s not every day someone so young comes up with ideas like this – she’s a very special person.”

Staff on the ward were equally impressed with what the family had achieved. Maddy thinks that from now on she will use every Halloween as an opportunity to fundraise for charity – next year she said she is thinking of supporting the Special Care Baby Unit at the hospital as she spent time there when she was a baby. 

For further information on how to support the Fortuneswell Unit and other parts of the hospital please contact the charity on 01305 253424 or email charity@dchft.nhs.uk