THE family of a schoolgirl who died in her sleep is honouring her memory by fundraising for Keep Britain Tidy - a cause she cared deeply about.

Matilda Pritchard, of Pudsey, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 11 on April 3 - leaving her parents, Anna and Steve, and the rest of her family devastated.

Matilda had an undiagnosed heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, which affects one in 1,000 people, and showed no symptoms of it before she tragically died. 

Matilda out litter pickingMatilda out litter picking (Image: Submitted)As a way to channel their grief, and to celebrate her life and things she was passionate about, Anna and Steve launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for Keep Britain Tidy as Matilda was concerned for the environment.

Originally hoping to raise £11,213, to represent Matilda's birthday, the target has now been increased to support Keep Britain Tidy for five more years.
 
Steve, Matilda's father, said: "Matilda had a compassionate heart and a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment. 

"She was deeply impacted by the sight of litter around our local community and its effects on nature. 

"She cared so much that she joined a local litter-picking group in Pudsey, and Matilda dedicated her time to cleaning up the community she loved.
 
"When we were on our dog walks we would regularly collect bags of litter, ensuring our local public spaces remained clean and beautiful for everyone to enjoy.

"We were very proud of her for her community spirit and awareness of the environment." 
 
With the first year's worth of sponsorship raised, the family is now looking to raise £42,000 to continue to support the charity for five further years.
 
Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: "We want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Anna and Steve who are fundraising for Keep Britain Tidy in memory of Matilda.
  
"No matter how big the environmental challenges we face, we would all do well to look at this beautiful country through the eyes of our children - through Matilda's eyes - and keep striving for a world without rubbish."
 
More information about Matilda's fundraising campaign can be found at www.justgiving.com/page/1712590495429

The aim is to raise as much money as possible to support the Eco-Schools programme, delivered by Keep Britain Tidy to help empower youngsters to make a difference in their school and wider community.