A FIVE-year-old little girl is the star of a new campaign for a Dorset children's hospice.

Carmela Chillery-Watson is the voice of the Julia's House radio initiative which aims to increase awareness of how Gifts in Wills help the charity supporting children with life-limiting conditions.

The youngster, who has an aggressive rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, which causes her muscles to get progressively weaker, is one of the children who benefits from legacies of this kind.

Amy Martin, legacy fundraiser for Julia’s House said: “People who leave a gift in their Will are supporting one in four of the children we care for. That’s a tremendous legacy to leave, and costs nothing now to do.

"We hope that when the time is right, people might consider that even by leaving just one per cent from their Will to Julia’s House they will be making a life-changing difference to children such as Carmela.”

The legacies go to support the charity's work supporting 166 families across Dorset and Wiltshire.

Carmela, who lives in Wiltshire with her mum Lucy and dad Darren, spent a day recording three 30-second adverts, which will air on local radio stations this summer and autumn.

Lucy said: “By leaving a gift in your Will you would be helping Julia’s House to provide respite to families like ours. Julia’s House is a lifeline for us as a family and Carmela’s carers are just amazing with her – all I hear are her giggles and screams of laughter. It’s normally just me and Carmela 24/7 as my husband works away most of the week.

"It can get very difficult emotionally and physically but knowing Julia's House is there once a week, to provide a couple of hours respite for me to have some time to feel like me again, gets me through it.”

To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will to Julia’s House, call Amy Martin on 01202 644220 email amy.martin@juliashouse.org or visit juliashouse.org/legacy to request a free Gifts in Wills guide.