A CHARITY car wash and fun day raised more than £1,000 towards an appeal to help a Caldicot tot walk independently.

And this means that in a month the amount raised has reached £10,000.

Firefighters from Chepstow Fire Station donated part of the proceeds from a charity car wash held in Tesco’s car park in the town on Saturday towards the Help Imogen Appeal.

The South Wales Fire and Rescue Crew donated over £150 from the event to help Catherine Ashwell-Rice, of Lapwing Avenue, raise £40,000 for her daughter to have a radical procedure to enable her to walk independently.

Imogen Ashwell-Rice, two, has a debilitating nerve-muscle condition known as spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, which means she walks on her toes, has stiffness in her legs and poor balance and co-ordination.

The 36 year-old mum of eight hopes a procedure, performed at Bristol Children’s Hospital, called selective dorsal rhizotomy will help avoid further deterioration.

A second fundraiser, held at the Severn View Social Club, Caldicot, raised over £1,000. Visitors to the club enjoyed a bouncy castle, face painting, stalls, dancing and were able to get a closer look at a fire engine.

Ms Ashwell-Rice said the two events have taken the total raised to more than £10,000.

She said: “Thank you to everyone who supported us on Saturday and please remember we still need to keep going. This operation will change Imogen’s life.”

Anyone wanting to support the appeal should visit the Facebook page Help-Imogen-Walk.