A seven-year-old girl with an incurable condition has had her dreams come true as she swam with dolphins for the first time in Australia.

Southview School pupil Ella Barden, who was born with Cockayne syndrome, herself raised £406 to go on the trip by completing a 400-yard sponsored walk through Witham’s Grove shopping centre - a major challenge for the girl, who has a life expectancy of only 12.

Combined with £600 raised from a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which was organised by a friend, Ella and her family had enough money to travel to the opposite side of the world to fulfill her wish this week.

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.