She may only be eight years old, but Emily Bubb has already survived open-heart surgery – and now the youngster can add raising more than £900 at a craft fair to her list of achievements.

The Cantley Primary School pupil, from Strumpshaw, organised Emily's Craft and Make Fayre with the help of her mother Claire Bulman to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Last September Emily, who has a hereditary heart condition, had open-heart surgery at the London hospital and the family said the care was second to none.

Emily, who made bracelets from loom bands to sell at the fair at Brundall Memorial Hall on Saturday, said: 'I wanted to do it because Great Ormond Street Hospital helped me and were so nice.'

Miss Bulman added: 'The staff couldn't do enough for us.'

And while Emily's younger brother Mason, who is nearly two, will soon have to travel to the hospital to be tested for the same condition, the family said they were very aware that their experience paled in comparison to some of the other young patients' situations.

Miss Bulman said: 'The operation wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, because it was minor compared to the people around us.

'Emily was only there for four days and and was just sent home with a bottle of Calpol.

'You get talking to other families and ask if they're all right and then they tell you they're just about to say goodbye to their child for the last time.'

The family, including Emily's dad Matt, her half-brother Joe, 22, and her grandparents, roped in friends and schoolfriends to help at the event, which included a host of craft stalls inside the hall.

The event raised more than £900, and Emily has also raised more than £300 through online donations, bringing the fundraising total to in excess of £1,200.

Tesco's Blue Boar Lane store donated cakes and raffle prizes while Langley's toys and the Gifted gift shop both donated loom bands to sell and Louise Flynn from Lou Lou Loves Face Painting donated all proceeds from painting faces to GOSH.

Villagers turned out to support the event and were blessed with warm and sunny weather for the outdoor bouncy castle, barbecue by Norfolk Sausage Company and the World of Owls display of birds.

Miss Bulman, 38, said: 'You just can't put into words what this means to us because everybody has been absolutely amazing and I'm overwhelmed by how generous everyone has been.'

To donate to Emily's fundraising efforts, log on to www.justgiving.com/Emily-Bubb/Are you organising a charity fundraising event? Email locallife@archant.co.uk