AN ARMY paramedic home on leave has raised over £1,000 to help save a hospital's malnutrition ward in war-torn Sierra Leone.

Aly-Joy Haworth will see the changes her fundraising activities have helped create as she returns to the poverty-stricken country to finish her final stint of service before coming back to East Lancashire for good.

The 23-year-old, from Great Harwood, has been in Sierra Leone for the past nine months and was moved by the poor conditions at Magbenteh Community Hospital in Makeni.

With the help of her family, Aly-Joy held several charity events while on leave this month, including a ladies night and a Stars in Their Eyes night. After appearing in the Lancashire Telegraph the family also received several postal donations, one of which held a £100 cheque. They are now able to hand the cash over to the hospital.

Aly-Joy's mother, Stephanie Haworth said: "This is enough money to keep the malnutrition ward running for two months. We want to thank everybody who has supported us, the plight of the hospital really seems to have touched people."

The family are also celebrating after Aly-Joy was promoted to corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

She will be posted back to Preston in October and then hopes to pursue a career as a civilian paramedic.