KIND staff and regulars at a Stourport cafe have helped raise more than £2,000 for a disabled girl with a rare genetic disorder.

Shed Food and Drink held a number of events including a fun day, a truck fest and a charity auction in aid of the Life for Leah appeal.

The appeal was set up by the parents of Stourport girl Leah Perry, who has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes severe physical and mental disability, to raise £12,000 for vital equipment to help make her life easier.

As a result of the disorder, 10-year-old Leah has not been able to talk and walk and has to be fed through a tube. She is also wheelchair bound and suffers from knock on health problems such as epilepsy, scoliosis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Paul Rabin, owner of Shed Food and Drink which is based in Countryside Park, A4025, Crossway Green in Stourport, said he was delighted with the response to their fundraising efforts.

An auction, which saw people bidding for items including driving lessons, pet sitting sessions and furniture, raised £1,300.

An ‘Old timers truck fest’, an idea suggested by cafe regular Alan Jones of A&P Transport, saw a number of vintage lorries brought to Shed and put on display also helped raise hundreds.

Other events included a fun day, live performers and a tombola, bringing the total raised for the appeal to more than £2,100.

Paul said: “For us being a fairly new business here, having been open for two years, it is great to get so much support from our customers and I’d like to thank everyone who donated.

“We are very proud of our efforts. I did not think we would get to that figure and I don’t think the family could quite believe we had raised that much.”

Leah’s dad Pete said: “Leah and the rest of the family are so grateful to Paul and his team for all they have done for us.

“We were hoping he would be able to raise a couple of hundred pounds for us but to collect more than £2,000 is incredible. Paul really worked hard for us and we are thankful.”