Schoolgirl Tali Bolchover went that extra mile - or rather, an extra 12 miles - to raise money for the charity that looked after both her granddads at the end of their lives .

On her “coming of age” 12th birthday, she did a sponsored walk from her home in Enfield to Marie Curie end-of-life charity office in Battersea.  

Tali set off at 8am with her parents and got to the charity in Nine Elms at 3.15pm, to be met by staff cheering her on in her final stretch.

She took on the challenge as part of the charity fundraising element of her Jewish Bat Mitzvah.

“Tali was brilliant during the walk,” her proud mum Janie said. “She didn’t moan once the whole time!

“She knew she wanted to set herself a challenge as part of her tzedakah (giving to charity) and it made sense to raise money for Marie Curie which looked after both her grandpas before they died.

“Their nurses supported us and were there for our family when we needed them most, so this was an opportunity to give back.”

The family originally hoped to raise £500 — but their JustGiving page has now raised almost four times that.

Marie Curie nurses and healthcare assistants looked after 46,000 people last year alone. The charity’s support services were used more than a million times.

Its community fundraiser Tracy Annunziato said: “Tali is an inspiration. She’s only 12 but set herself a huge challenge and accomplished it while smashing her fundraising target.

“It’s thanks to fundraisers like Tali and her parents that we can offer care to people and their families affected by terminal illness.”

The charity provides care to patients at home or in one of its nine hospices around the country.

It offers bereavement support with a free helpline with information on everything from managing day-to-day terminal illness to planning for end of life, or help if someone needs a safe space to talk or guidance on their personal situation.

Callers are paired with a volunteer offering a listening ear and emotional support. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones on 0800 090 2309.