Talented ten-year-old artist Rosie Hodge has received bumper packs of Christmas cards bearing her own winning design in aid of the Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Appeal.

A pupil at Sandal Primary School, Baildon, Rosie’s clever drawing of a smiling snowman surrounded by purple crocuses won our district-wide competition and editions of the winning card are now on sale and raising funds for the £1 million appeal to develop pioneering ways to fight cancer.

Rosie’s dad, Damien, died from cancer three years ago, so the Crocus Appeal struck a very personal chord, said Rosie’s mum, Emily Hodge.

“It is something which is particularly close to us and her winning was quite overwhelming,” Mrs Hodge said. “She spent ages thinking about the drawing and went off and did it on own. We’re all very excited and thrilled.”

Rosie’s teacher, Faye Helliwell, was also full of praise for her artistic abilities.

“She is really good and we are very proud of her win,” she said.

Five large packs of cards have been sent to Sandal Primary School and will be sold at the school’s Christmas fair which takes place today.

And another pack was given to Rosie to go with the i-Pad and £100 to spend on artist materials which made up the rest of her prize, awarded by a panel of three judges.

Speaking about her achievement, Rosie said she was pleased to have helped such a worthwhile cause as the Bradford Crocus Appeal.

“I think it’s amazing and all for something which is very important and worthwhile,” Rosie said.

But Rosie does not plan a career in art, despite her talent: “I want to be a vet when I’m older, I think,” she said.

The appeal is raising £1m to buy a new mass spectrometer which will allow scientists at the University of Bradford’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) study the role of protein in cancer ten times quicker than before.

The university already has a world-class reputation for its work in cancer research.

It is hoped the new hi-tech machine will help researchers develop new, less toxic cancer treatments which will transform the lives of people blighted by the illness.

The appeal is being run in conjunction with the university, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust.

Packs of ten Bradford Crocus Appeal Christmas cards, priced at £3 each, are on sale at the Telegraph & Argus reception desk and also at the University of Bradford.