A mum who turned tragedy into hope has been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award after building a reputation as one of the UK’s most inspirational fundraisers.

For more than half a decade Ginny Walker has delivered “epic boxes of Lego” to children in hospital wards where her son, Ben, was treated.

Ginny and her husband, James, were left devastated in August 2019 when their son, Ben, died from acute myeloid leukaemia, just six days after turning 12.

But the couple from Rogate, near Petersfield, turned tragedy into hope and joy for hundreds of seriously ill children by launching a campaign to give Lego to youngsters who spend the festive period in hospital.

Around £20,000 of Lego has been handed out since the couple and Ginny’s sister, Kirstie, began the “Ben’s Epic Christmas Boxes” campaign, with plans well advanced for the eighth season of giving.

Her incredible work – Ginny also has a podcast and has written a memoir – has earned her a nomination for the ITV Pride of Britain Fundraiser of the Year Award for the Meridian West and Thames Valley region.

She said: “There’s some amazing people among the nominees but I’m not seeking awards, I just want to give and help people however I can.”

The idea of Ben’s Epic Christmas Boxes arose from her son’s love of Lego and the realisation that most kids are equally fond of the iconic Danish building brick.

PP Ben Walker
Ben Walker, who died in 2019, just a few days after his 12th birthday. (Ginny Walker)

The campaign was launched under the umbrella of Ben's Epic Journey, a blog put together while the “fiery but generous” youngster was having chemotherapy.

Despite his treatment and need for a stem cell transplant, Ben never complained, continuing with a spirit and warmth that would carry his family long after his death in 2019. The youngster’s desire to help others has been embodied by his parents, who would like the campaign to become a charity and get rolled-out nationwide.

Ginny said: “We’re now in our eighth season of bringing epic boxes of Lego to the children in hospital at Christmas.

“We go to Starfish ward at QA Portsmouth, Piam Brown ward in Southampton and Starlight ward in Bristol.

“You should see the smiles we get. There’s a fire in my belly and I can’t stop doing it.”

PP Ginny Piam Brown 2024
Handing out Lego sets at the Piam Brown ward at Southampton Hospital in 2024. (Ginny Walker)

Ginny’s mission isn’t just about Lego, it’s about sharing experiences and helping other parents who have gone through, or are going through, similar journeys.

She talks about her experiences on her Magical Match podcast and published a memoir called Family of Five on what would have been Ben’s 19th birthday. The memoir is a story of hope, loss, grief and love sharing their family’s story of childhood cancer and Ben’s need for a stem cell replacement.

Ginny doesn’t know at the time of writing if she’s through to the national Pride of Britain finals, but she’s so proud to be part of it, and making such a difference.

To donate look for ‘Ben’s Christmas Boxes’ on https://gogetfunding.com while her podcast can be found at https://magicalmatchpod.podbean.com/