Ten-year-old boy from Halifax raises over £1,000 for charity in memory of his brother

Scott Bennett, who attends the Greetland Academy, set himself a summer holiday running challenge in tribute to his brother Jack, who died in 2011, aged 13 months, from Alpers, a type of mitochondrial disease.

Scott has raised the money for The Lily Foundation, a charity that helps families affected by the disease and is working to find a cure.

Scott, who lives with his mum and dad and two sisters, has received a Community Spirit Award in assembly at his school for completing his challenge.

"We are so proud of him," said his mum Alison.

"He came up with the idea himself and never once faltered from completing his challenge."

Scott did most of his running around Greetland, but also in Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales whilst camping, and in Queen Elizabeth II park near Portsmouth on a family trip.

"He did some of his runs with me or his dad," Alison said, "but also had support from his cousin and friends.

"His cousin was also inspired by Scott's running and competed 30 miles in the holidays."

On how the challenge came about, Alison said: "A few months ago he was reading a copy of the RSPCA magazine and read an article about a girl who had raised money by walking, swimming and cycling.

"He decided he could do something similar and wanted to support The Lily Foundation, in memory of his brother Jack.

"He wanted to do something to help other families effected by mitochondrial disease."

Scott's brother was treated at Great Ormond St Hospital, as the family lived in Richmond, Surrey at the time.

"Jack was a gentle little boy with beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair," Alison said.

"He had a happy disposition and a cheeky grin.

"He fell ill just after his first birthday.

"The charity was founded in 2007 by Liz Curtis in memory of her daughter Lily, who died from mito at eight months old.

"Finding little in the way of specialist knowledge or support to help her through her ordeal, Liz set out to provide answers for herself and others in her situation.

"What began as an informal network of family and friends has grown into a national charity run by a small team of dedicated staff.

"Today we support over 1,200 families, work tirelessly to raise awareness of this rare disease, fund research into treatments and a cure, and form a vital link between patients, doctors and medical science bodies. "Mitochondrial disease is a rare inherited disorder. Our mitochondria are essentially the tiny organelles within our cells that generate most of the energy we require to function. "Without healthy mitochondria, cells cannot function properly and the results can be debilitating and eventually life-ending. There is currently no cure."