A PUPIL of South Tawton Primary School will be abseiling to raise money for the Cancer Research UK charity.

Twelve-year-old Jennifer Howard has Prader Willi Syndrome, which affects only one in 50,000 children and is particularly rare in the West Country.

Jennifer's mother, Helen, explained there were three different levels at which sufferers could be affected.

Jennifer had a degree of learning difficulty, plus fine and gross motor co-ordinating difficulties — which meant she had difficulty with such things as writing and carrying out normal tasks such as hopping or climbing stairs. Balance could also be a problem, she said.

Despite this, Jennifer will be abseiling down the entrance tower at Castle Drogo on Sunday, July 7 at noon. The abseil is professionally organised for the charity, with a number of people taking part, and Jennifer will be doing it in a full harness, hopefully on her own.

'Jennifer has abseiled before. She is a member of the 1st Chagford Guides and did a short abseil with them,' Helen said. 'She was so good she didn't need to have a special person to go down with her.

'The fact that she can co-ordinate on a rope is amazing,' her mother added, saying that she would be 'having kittens' waiting for Jennifer at the bottom.

'Jennifer is thoroughly excited by the idea and can't wait to do it,' Helen said. Although she had set a target of £250 to raise, it would be 'wonderful' if it could be more.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Jennifer — who was the Riding for the Disabled West Country champion two years ago and is currently learning to play the piano to improve co-ordination — can sign up at South Tawton Primary School office in South Zeal, at Olditch Caravan Park just outside the village, or can contact the family direct on 01837 840734.