Two charities have each been given a £7,000 boost thanks to a charity marathon run and other fundraisers held in memory of a much-loved boy.

Kevin and Julie Pitcher, from East Runton, have given East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) and Cromer Children's Charity the donations to help the charities support others in the same way they supported their family.

Mr Pitcher said: "It feels like we've now kept our promise. We've finally achieved what we set out to do. There will be a lot of families with children who will benefit from this."

Benny died aged six on July 12 last year after a battle with a rare form of brain cancer.

During his treatment, people from across north Norfolk and beyond came together to support the Pitcher family.

Mr Pitcher said they now wanted to go on "giving back" and helping others in the same way.

"People stepped in to help our family and now we want to be there for others. This is our way of paying it back," he said.

Benny, who was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in March 2019, became known for his cheeky smile and 'superhero' courage.

He was a pupil at Sheringham Primary School and loved his family, friends and kitten Tilly.

Much of the money was raised around a marathon Mr Pitcher and others ran in north Norfolk on August 8, and further funds came from charity boxes in shops and other donations.

As well as the funds handed over to the two causes, the Pitchers are putting the sum of £4,562 towards a new charity they are planning to launch early next year.

To be called Benny's Battalion, the aim will be to help other families with terminally and seriously ill children to pay for things when they have nowhere else to turn.

Mr Pitcher said this could include paying for a family's transportation or accommodation near a hospital so they could be close to a child undergoing treatment, for example.

At a presentation ceremony on October 31 - what would have been Benny's eighth birthday - Tim Jenkins accepted one of the £7,000 donations on behalf of EACH, and Philip Balls accepted the donation to Cromer Children's Charity.