Two six-year-old girls took on an endurance challenge when they climbed on a trampoline to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Tabitha Wells, of Beccles, and her friend Amy Reynolds, of Brundall, bounced for 30 minutes on Thursday afternoon, as they raised money for the hospital where Tabitha's younger sister Ebie will soon undergo open heart surgery.

The 20-month-old was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect, or a hole in the heart, in January last year, after visits to Great Ormond Street hospital, in London, revealed that Ebie had a teardrop shaped hole near her aorta.

She is now preparing for surgery in October.

Mum Clare McMeekin, 37, said: 'We found out when she was only 10 weeks old and it was a massive shock, you never expect anything like that to happen to you.'

Miss McMeekin said that Ebie appeared well at the time and is still a bundle of energy now.

Dad Nathan Wells, 37, said that she has reacted well to the hospital visits.

'She does not understand but she is as good as gold, treating it as an adventure,' he said. 'It is tough for us as parents though.'

The couple decided to raise money for the hospital as their way of saying thank you.

Mr Wells is planning to run the London Marathon and Miss McMeekin, who works as a teacher at Edgar Sewter School in Halesworth, is hoping to do a skydive.

Their efforts inspired their eldest daughter Tabitha who decided she wanted to help too.

Mr Wells, a recruitment manager in Norwich, said: 'She has been brave, a little worried about it but she wanted to raise money for the hospital, and it was her idea.'

Miss McMeekin added: 'She wanted to do something and decided on a sponsored bounce, while her friend Amy decided to help. They've both got trampolines at home and thought it was a good idea.'

She also thanked Beccles Sports Centre for giving the facilities for free.

richard.wood@archant.co.uk