Through tears and quite a bit of pain, a 13-year-old climbed a 1,000m mountain in five-and-a-half inch heels – all in the name of charity.

Charlotte Smith slipped on the wedge heels to climb Mount Snowdon in Wales, and battled through gale-force winds and hale to reach the summit.

The youngster of Wynndale Road, South Woodford, has raised more than £4,500 since deciding last year to take on the mountain for Haven House Children’s Hospice, High Road, Woodford Green.

She has knocked on doors, packed bags at supermarkets and recorded a CD of songs to raise money towards the cause.

But last month’s climb proved the ultimate test of endurance.

Charlotte, who has been nominated for the Recorder/Redbridge Rotary Club Young Citizen Award, sponsored by Exchange Ilford, said: “My feet were aching quite a lot. It was really hard.

“But I wouldn’t take them off. My dad was saying, ‘if you’re going to keep complaining you’ll have to take them off’. But I refused to.”

She added: “When I got to the top, I was really happy.

“I was going to get the train back down but because of the weather it was cancelled, so I had to walk down. I had hiking shoes for that!”

It is not the first time Charlotte has raised money for charity, with a sponsored silence aged nine and a five-mile run aged 10, both in aid of Haven House.

She had the idea to climb Mount Snowdon after her sister Annabel made the summit in preparation for her Duke of Edinburgh award last year.

Charlotte took to the mountain with Annabel, 16, her mum Mandy and her dad Dave.

Dave, 47, said: “I’m so proud of her.

“She was adamant she was going to do it. My heart was bleeding because she was in so much pain and discomfort but she kept going.”