A CHARITY competition has been dedicated to an 11-year-old girl who lost her battle with cancer last year.

The parents and sister of 11-year-old Rosie Perry handed out prizes at the pavement artist's competition at Lyme Regis RNLI Lifeboat Week, which was dedicated to the memory of the youngster.

Rosie died from ovarian cancer last year, and the Nottingham school she was about to attend sent a donation of £1,500 to Lyme Regis RNLI because she always loved her family holidays in the town.

Rosie had also entered, and won, the pavement art competition a number of times, so the organisers decided to invite her family to Lifeboat Week.

On Friday (29), Rosie’s mum Diane, dad Guy and sisters Jessica and Millie were also presented with a gift – an embroidered heart bearing Rosie’s name – made by the organiser of the competition, Tammy Garner.

Organisers of this year's Lifeboat Week are celebrating after labelling the event a "great result".

This year's annual event has raised around £25,000 for the life-saving charity, following a series of events across the town.

Irene Roper, chairman of the Lyme Regis and Charmouth RNLI Guild, whose volunteers organise the week every year, said: “It is a great result and we are so grateful to all those who gave so generously during the week.

“ We also owe a great debt of gratitude to hose groups who gave their time and their talent to help us stage some superb events, ranging from the Eastern Promise belly dancers to the Weymouth and Portland Model Boat Club and the Three Counties Swing Band to those brave souls who took part in the bathtub race and the swimming challenge.

"We must thank all our sponsors, including local traders who donated so generously to so many of our events. And, of course thanks to our volunteer collectors and committee members without whom the week simply could not happen.”

The duck race saw 1,140 little plastic competitors cheered on by hundreds watching from the banks of the River Lym and no less than 8,000 tickets were sold at the wine or water lucky dip stall. Dozens of youngsters met members of the lifeboat crew, and their parents took advantage of a photo opportunity aboard the lifeboat.

More than 80 swimmers took the plunge as part in the two events over an 850-metre course from Cobb Gate to the harbour mouth on Friday (29).

In challenging conditions, Sam Rose, 27, won the cup in the female adult section and Charlie Kendall, 16, was the first male.

In the junior section, Millie Kendall, 13, was first and Nathan Moorey, also 13, was first of the young men.

On the opening day of this year's lifeboat week, the firefighters' team won the bathtub race for the sixth successive year.