FRIENDS of a pint-sized fundraiser have rallied to raise hundreds of pounds for a military charity.

Alfie McAnespie, nine, is set to climb Ben Nevis this summer in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for military charity Help for Heroes.

Having asked a number of celebrities to join his team, the nine-year-old, who TV presenter Lorraine Kelly jokingly claimed as her adopted son, will be joined by Coronation Street star Anthony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully in the soap, and former Royal Marine-turned athlete Andy Grant.

Mr Grant was medically discharged from the marines after losing a leg in an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan.

Fundraiser Alfie - whose dad, Lee, is a member of the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment - held a fundraising day at Montgomery Junior School in Colchester on Friday..

In total the event, which was attended by the Help for Heroes bear mascot, raised about £375.

Alfie’s proud mum Anja, said: “He’s determined to keep going and the response he has had from the school has been incredible.

“He sat with a lot of the pupils and one sweet child called him ‘Hero kid’ - it was great.”

Alfie shot to fame when he became the youngest Help for Heroes fundraiser.

As a 16-month-old tot, he walked one mile unaided and raised £1,000 for the soldiers’ charity and was name-checked by Prince Harry and then Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Last year, he scaled Mount Snowdon to raise money for former Para John Prosser to get a specially adapted wheelchair after injuring himself in a series of hard landings.

Mrs McAnespie, who lives in Colchester, added: “The support he has had since telling everyone what he is going to do is very humbling.

“I know he is my son but I can’t help but think what he is doing is amazing.

“If you spend half an hour with him, you just know what he is like.

“The children were really interested to hear what he’s doing.

“One of them asked him: ‘If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?’ and he answered: ‘Climb another mountain.’

“They were a bit taken with that but he doesn’t see the big deal.”

The fundraising day saw pupils each pay £1 to abandon their uniforms for the day and wear their own clothes.

A raffle was also held for a chance to win prizes which were donated by Marks and Spencer, in Colchester High Street, Costcutter, in Homefield Road, and Tesco supermarket at the Hythe.

Stephanie Marshall, the school’s community engagement co-ordinator, said: “From the word go it was a huge success.

“The children were able to buy raffle tickets and they were so popular we had to go around again at break time.

“We also held an assembly where the children were told about how Help for Heroes came about and what good it does.”

She added: “It is beautiful what Alfie has done and is doing.

“It’s clear it is a family effort but everyone at the school is very proud of him.”

The school is also planning another fundraier - a bake sale with a Great British Bake Off theme which will be staged later this term.