TWO intrepid young schoolgirls are to follow in their headteacher's footsteps by climbing mountains for charity.

Imogen Shuttleworth and Emma Macklin both attend St James's Primary School in Wollaston and having been inspired by the adventurous charity fundraising antics of their headteacher Sally Sixsmith, who climbed Mount Snowdon and hiked in the Himalayas in Nepal, both have decided to take on mountainous challenges for good causes.

Year two youngster Imogen, aged seven, is set to hike up Mount Snowdon with her dad on Saturday June 10 in aid of Birmingham Children's Hospital.

While year one pupil Emma Macklin, aged six, is planning to walk up Mount Cadris on a date to be fixed in June with her mum and dad in aid of Stourbridge's Mary Stevens Hospice which cared for her nan, former hospice volunteer Brenda Cadwallader, who spent the final days of her fight against pancreatic cancer at the Hagley Road charity's residential unit.

Dan Malin, of Mary Stevens Hospice, said of Emma's charitable endeavour: “She is going to smash this challenge. We're just so proud of her. We know her 'Nanna' would be too."

Meanwhile - Imogen has already raised £1,920 for Birmingham Children's Hospital by completing a night run and she was recently recognised as one of the hospital's young fundraisers of the year at its 100 heroes event.

Anyone wishing to sponsor her latest charity challenge can do so online at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/samantha-shuttleworth.

To sponsor Emma, who aims to raise £695 - the cost of a 24-hour stay in the hospice in-patient unit, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Emmamac6