AN eight-year-old girl from Martin was the brains behind a charity triathlon held at Salisbury District Hospital on Sunday afternoon.

Tilly Shepherd, who has cerebral palsy, suggested the idea to staff at the children's therapy unit to raise money towards her much-needed new wheelchair.

"Tilly has physiotherapy here regularly, so she talked to staff about her idea of holding a charity triathlon," said Anne Whiting, a physiotherapist in the children's department.

"We decided to open it up to everyone and also help raise money for new equipment in the children's therapy unit.

"But it was Tilly's idea to have the triathlon."

Tilly and her friends raised more than £250 towards her new wheelchair and everyone else raised £150 for new toys in the children's therapy department.