A brave eight-year-old who has cerebral palsy, completed two laps of a car park on a specially adapted tricycle to launch a campaign to buy her an electric wheelchair.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Eight-year-old Sophie Warnes who has Cerebral Palsy cycling two laps of the car park of Connaught Hall, Attleborough on a tricycle as part of the fundraising effort to buy her a new wheelchair. Photo: Steve Adams.Eight-year-old Sophie Warnes who has Cerebral Palsy cycling two laps of the car park of Connaught Hall, Attleborough on a tricycle as part of the fundraising effort to buy her a new wheelchair. Photo: Steve Adams. (Image: Copyright Archant Norfolk 2014)

Sophie Warnes from Attleborough has difficulty using her arms and she has to use a manual wheelchair, but the determined youngster was able to complete the laps of the car park to bring awareness to the Get Sophie Moving initiative to raise £12,000.

A large crowd of wellwishers watched her in the car park at Connaught Hall at Attleborough, while representatives of the town's fire service came along to help Sophie.

As a treat for undertaking the challenge, she was given chocolate buttons to eat along the route.

Her mother, Wendy Warnes, 34, said her daughter, who attends The Clare School in Norwich, had difficulties with her current manual chair, which restricted her ability to go out and play with her fellow pupils because it was so difficult to manoeuvre and she had to rest her head on her knees in order to get any power from her left arm.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Eight-year-old Sophie Warnes who has Cerebral Palsy cycling two laps of the car park of Connaught Hall, Attleborough on a tricycle as part of the fundraising effort to buy her a new wheelchair. Photo: Steve Adams.Eight-year-old Sophie Warnes who has Cerebral Palsy cycling two laps of the car park of Connaught Hall, Attleborough on a tricycle as part of the fundraising effort to buy her a new wheelchair. Photo: Steve Adams. (Image: Copyright Archant Norfolk 2014)

She said: 'An electric wheelchair will give her more independence at home and at school where she can play with the other children. At the moment, she has to have 24/7 attention, but an electric wheelchair will give her more freedom.'

Moving an electric wheelchair is done by a joystick which Sophie will be able to hold, removing the need to use her own strength to generate movement.

Her father Michael, 45, said: 'If it wasn't for her powerful sense of humour and her being so happy, I don't know how we would manage. She is so content and so happy that it makes it far easier for us.'

Further fundraising events are planned, including a 50 -mile bike ride from Attleborough to Hunstanton via Peddars Way on Sunday, November 16. On December 7, the firefighters will pull a fire engine around Attleborough.

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