Lauren up for Children's Champion award

The nine year old from Wychurst Gardens has been nominated for a Children's Champion Award for her bravery in overcoming spina bifida.

Four winners from across Britain will be chosen by judges including the Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown, Lord Sebastian Coe, Dame Kelly Holmes and television stars Roxanne Pallett and Amanda Holden.

They will then receive their awards from Prime Minister Gordon Brown himself at a ceremony at Downing Street followed by a gala dinner.

The prize includes 5000, as well as a trophy and certificate, VIP trip on the London Eye and red carpet treatment at Hamleys, and a night at a top hotel.

Lauren, a pupil at Netherfield School, is these days a talented dancer but when she was born her parents were told she might never walk.

She has already appeared in professional productions and is aiming to make the stage her life but meanwhile she is busy raising funds to help other children with spina bifida who are not so lucky.

She was nominated by her dance teacher at the Italia Conti school in Tunbridge Wells.

Chris Baldock told the Observer: "We didn't know when she joined that she had something wrong with her spine. It was not until she started getting a few aches and pains and then her dad explained to us exactly what it was that we knew she had really gone through the mill. She doesn't really show it much in class - she is one of those kids that comes in and just enjoys herself.

"I put her up for the award for her bravery because if she is in pain like that she certainly doesn't show it."