A wee girl with a big heart and strong legs has climbed a mountain to help a church that was damaged by thieves.
Three-year-old Laila Lopez climbed 1,010ft Beinn Lora and raised £1,100 in the process, smashing her fundraising target of £500.
She had been so sad after being told that the lead had been stripped from the roof of Saint Conan’s Kirk by Loch Awe that she offered the pennies in her piggy bank.
Her mum Ailsa explained that it wouldn’t be anywhere near enough, but maybe they could do a sponsored walk.
Laila immediately suggested they climb Beinn Lora, a mountain near Oban.
Around £35,000 of intricately designed leadwork was plundered from the church roof last month. The same part of the roof was stripped two years ago, with this latest theft taking the bill for the volunteer trustees who look after the building to a total of £70,000.
Laila lives in Taynuilt with her mum, dad Donnie, and big brother Keiron. She passes the church on her way to Lochgilphead to visit her grandparents. Her mum told her about the theft as they drove passed and she came up with the idea to help.
After Laila’s story appeared in the Press and Journal, she was inundated with sponsorship.
Mrs Lopez said: “She is over the moon, she was so chuffed with herself.
“We have raised about £1,100 which we are delighted about, we didn’t even know if we were going to reach our £500 target.
“After the story was in the Press and Journal people we didn’t know were coming up to her in the street and giving her money.
“A couple with a holiday house in the village told her they saw her in the P&J and handed her £20. She thinks she’s famous!”
Laila and her mum completed the climb in two hours after nursery on Tuesday.
Mrs Lopez said: “She was really good. On the steep bits she was struggling a wee bit and we had to stop a couple of times for picnics. Then she practically ran back down.
“It is such an achievement, we are all very proud of her. She is a wee star. I didn’t think she would manage the hill as well as she did. Thank you to everyone who sponsored her.”
Laila will visit Saint Conan’s on Friday to present trustees with a cheque.