Heart transplant girl Sally Slater has rallied round to back her uncle's bid to promote organ donation.

Chris Slater, of Skipton, is preparing to navigate a rally car, driven by family friend Graham Hargrave, of Silsden, in a top motorsport event.

Their bright yellow MkII Escort, powered by a two-litre Astra engine, and its support vehicles will be covered with the name, logo and details of how to make donations to the Children's Heart Unit Fund, the charity which helped save six-year-old Sally's life.

And members of the team will also be giving out donor cards to fellow competitors and spectators at the prestigious Seat Jim Clark Memorial Rally - which starts in the Scottish Borders at the end of June - and other events they are planning to enter over the coming months.

Mr Slater, 31, who owns his own building firm in Skipton, said: "They did such a fantastic job saving Sally's life that we just wanted to do something to help.

"Donations of money will help pay for the artificial hearts but by giving out the forms, cards and literature we're also hoping to get more people to carry donor cards so they can donate their organs in the event of something happening to them.

"Sally's very happy about what we're doing - she understands what's been done and knows it's important to help the unit help other children. She loves the car and thinks it's nice and bright.''

Sally's grandmother, retired teacher Barbara Slater, of Threshfield, said she was continuing to make progress.

"She is getting mobile again and no longer uses her wheelchair in the house," she said.

Sally's family had hoped she would return to school by the summer but Mrs Slater said she is unlikely to return to Kirkby Malham Primary until September. Meanwhile, Mrs Slater is helping to teach her at home.

Mr Hargrave, 39, of Silsden, is a partner at the Threshfield Garage, Threshfield, and godfather to Sally's cousin, Zoe.

He said: "I've got three children myself and to go through what they did must have been horrendous so I just wanted to help.

"With the rally on Eurosport we're hoping the car may get a bit of a following and that people who see it will make a donation.''

Mr Slater said he hoped the advertising on the car would boost donations to the charity, which is based at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital where his niece was given a new heart after contracting a mystery virus.

The money will enable the unit to fund things such as the £40,000 apiece artificial hearts which kept Sally alive while waiting for a donor organ.