A 7-year-old with Cerebral Palsy is using her free time to hand out bags of food to the elderly.

Willow McClarence, with the help of her mum Zoe Totten and family friend Chelsey Clayton, delivered supplies to residents who are unable to buy their own food in Farnworth, Great Lever, Breightmet, Ainsworth and Bury.

Willow, who suffered from meningitis as a baby, was off school this week as she has eye surgery on Monday. Once she felt better she told her mum that she wanted to help people.

Zoe said: “We were trying to explain to her that she can’t go back to school anymore, and what was happening with the virus and panic-buying.

“Willow said that it wasn’t nice that people were struggling, so we decided that we would help.

“She woke up yesterday morning and she was really excited. So we went shopping and bought food in batches and bagged it all up.

“She would knock on doors and at some houses she had to pass cartons of milk through the window.We bought them ready meals, milk, tea bags and biscuits. Willow even took it on herself to ask people what they wanted, as she was worried they wouldn't like the things we had bought.

"She does have speech and language difficulties so she has a very direct way of talking to people. But this actually helped as we saved more food, some people didn't need a lot whereas others did."

Willow's younger brother Messi, who is nine months old but was born prematurely, requires oxygen, which the family are struggling to get hold of, so they know the difficulties others are facing.

Zoe said: "We thought, if we can't get hold of enough oxygen, then how are all these elderly people coping? We knew we had to do something to help.

"Relatives of some of the people we helped posted messages on Facebook saying how grateful they were. We funded it all ourselves. Some of these people are all alone and don't have people around to help. It just shows the impact of the virus."