A Northumberland Heath shop worker who lost her granddaughter to meningitis, is raising money to combat the disease.

Dawn Whiteman lost Maya Ford in 2012 when she was only 21 months old.

Now she spearheads efforts to educate others about meningitis, including by organising a second annual Meningitis Awareness Week event in Northumberland Heath this week.

Last year, the town’s shops raised £1171 for the Meningitis Research Foundation and Ms Whiteman is hoping they do even better this time round.

A raffle is set to take place this week, with shops along Bexley Road donating prizes.

Cards which describe the symptoms of meningitis are also being handed out.

Ms Whiteman, who works at Wellingtons electronics shop, said: "Maya was my world, my life, my everything and she was taken from us in 16 hours.

"It was such a shock how quickly this disease takes effect."

"If we get to save one person or one child, Maya didn’t die in vain."

Visit meningitis.org/remembrance-funds/remember-maya