PLUCKY York schoolgirl Elizabeth Richardson is planning to compete in a national athletics contest against other youngsters who, like her, have been through transplant operations.

Eleven-year-old Elizabeth, from Huntington, underwent a kidney transplant a year ago at St James's Hospital, in Leeds.

Now she wants to join a team from "Jimmys" which is set to compete in the Children's Transplant Games in Stoke-on-Trent in July.

But first she needs to raise at least £500 towards the costs.

Her parents, Nigel and Kirsty, who run the Blacksmiths Arms at Huntington, are planning a series of fundraising events.

The men's darts team is set to stage a 24-hour darts marathon next month, and the licensees are subsequently intending to organise a walkathon around Huntington, followed by a car boot sale and barbecue.

The Richardsons, who formerly ran the Carpenters Arms at Fangfoss, are also writing to York businesses to ask for sponsorship, and they say Elizabeth's school, Yearsley Grove, is set to hold a non-uniform day with money raised going towards the appeal.

"I really want to take part in the games," said Elizabeth.

"I couldn't do it last year because I was still in quarantine after the transplant."

Kirsty said Elizabeth, who suffers from an extremely rare kidney problem, nephrotic syndrome, would need another transplant at some stage in the future, and was still not well.

She said it would be nice for her daughter to be able to compete against others of her own age who had been through similar operations. But she stressed that a key aim of staging the games was to raise awareness of the desperate need for more people to carry the kidney donor card.

Meanwhile, the pub is staging an indoor video race night at about 9pm on Wednesday to raise money for the National Kidney Research Fund.

Updated: 12:00 Monday, March 31, 2003