The tragic death of a schoolgirl has inspired a remarkable legacy which is helping to train more than 100 nurses and care assistants working in paediatric care.

Evie Dove from Worth, near Sandwich, was just 13 when she lost her fight with an aggressive brain tumour leaving her family and friends devastated.

But a foundation set up in her memory has now raised an incredible £300,000 in just two years.

Today, its trustees are hoping for another bumper contribution when two charity walks set off in Hythe - the 17-mile Big Coastal Walk and the three-mile Little Canal Walk.

Hundreds of supporters of the Evie Dove Foundation have signed up for the events and the inaugural walks last year, supported by 250 people, raised more than £25,000.

They are among a raft of fundraisers for the charity which has grown from strength to strength since Evie’s death in March 2022.

The former pupil of Kent College, in Canterbury, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma following a “horrific” seizure which had her rushed to hospital and came as a “bolt out of the blue” to her parents.

Despite intensive treatment and bouts of chemotherapy at King’s College and the Royal Marsden Hospitals in London and the QEQM in Margate, she died 11 months later.

Her parents Howard and Katie say she was remarkably brave and kind with a “beautiful soul”.

“Throughout it all, Evie remained her funny, kind and caring self, trying to make other children happy in hospital by sharing and donating her toys, like teddies,” said Katie, 47, who works as a fitness instructor and personal trainer.

“She was always generous from a very young age. It wasn’t something that we particularly instilled in her – it was just her nature.”

“Evie was the most funny, kind, caring and goofy teenager who loved life and was just a beautiful soul,” added dad Howard, 54, who is managing director for airparks and insurance at Holiday Extras.

“We were inspired to create the foundation in her name after spending a huge amount of time in hospital and witnessing the tremendous care she was receiving from staff.”

The first to benefit was a healthcare assistant at the Royal Marsden who provided Evie and the family with tremendous support.

“It made us realise just how important he was to us in our darkest of hours and how much comfort he brought to Evie, when we were dreading seeing her latest scans after bouts of chemotherapy,” said Katie.

“It was his acts of kindness that made the whole ordeal more bearable for us than it might have been.

“So it is very gratifying to know that our support is now helping him to train to be a doctor and that he will promote and take that caring ethos with him.”

Since then, more than 100 Evie Foundation ‘heroes’ have benefitted from the charity’s support, including the funding of courses to further their careers, helping to address the “serious shortfall” in paediatric care.

They include the nurse, Cuba Parris, at the Royal Marsden who is now training to be a doctor and who attends many of the fundraising events.

The charity is run by a group of trustees, including family members, with a variety of skills and contacts who have also created a very professional and effective website to spread its message and work.

One of the trustees, Matt Paxton says the amount raised so far in Evie’s memory has hugely surpassed their expectations.

“Our plan, presented to the Charities Commission, was to raise £90,000 in five years but we have more than tripled that in just two,” he said.

“It’s quite extraordinary and we can’t thank our many supporters enough for backing what we are doing.

“There’s no doubt it brings huge comfort to the family to know that Evie did not die in vain and so much good work is being done in her name.

“She would have been 16 on August 15, so it’s been quite an emotional time for them.”

Matt says all the work is being done in their spare time as they all have busy day jobs.

“But we look forward to continue fundraising for the foundation long into the future with the aim of supporting 50 Evie ‘heroes’ every year, “ he added.