A GROUP of Bradford College students are helping support a neo-natal charity set up in memory of a four-day old girl.

Computing students Katie Mistry, Amer Pars and Logan Bickerdike are working on a website and a marketing campaign to give Lillie's Grace a boost.

Lillie Grace Hodges-Rhodes died in November 2013 after her mother's placenta failed and her brain was starved of oxygen.

Her parents Nicky and Matthew Hodges-Rhodes, of Idle, agreed to donate her heart valves to help save the lives of other sick babies and were the first couple to do so at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Since then, they set up Lillie’s Grace to raise awareness of baby heart valve donations and to support babies and their families staying in the neonatal unit raising more than £20,000.

Originally Lillie’s Grace only had a Facebook page.

But now, the students, who are on the HND Computing and Systems Developments course, are spearheading a campaign to redesigning its fliers, make promotional videos and a new website, lilliesgrace.com as well as a bespoke database so hospitals can re-order goods offered through the website.

HE Computing Lecturer Paul Garside, who is overseeing the work, said: “My wife Michelle worked as a volunteer for Lillie’s Grace and often spoke about the charity.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity for my students to get their teeth into a real project but also help the charity reach new audiences and improve its processes.”

Fundraising money is used to buy wool to get people knitting bonnets for special care babies at Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) and to make up toiletry packs for parents who suddenly find themselves in hospital as a result of an emergency with their new babies.

Mrs Hodges-Rhodes said the students are amazing and added: “The only thing I had to promote the charity was a Facebook page, that’s as far as my I.T skills go.

"I really needed some help to promote the charity further. The work we have done together has been amazing, I feel we have all grown as people and the world is our oyster now we’ve got the website. I think it will help raise awareness so other hospitals and charities can get in touch and may also help encourage more knitting volunteers to come forward and offer their services.”

Student Katie Mistry said : “Nicky came to the College to talk to us about the charity and it reminded me of when my sister was born as she was seven weeks premature - it was a difficult time.

"I felt helping will make a difference to other people’s lives, it’s also helped me grow as a person and develop my skills.”

And fellow student Logan Bickerdike said: “It’s been a fantastic experience. Once we met Nicky I think everyone felt it was a very heartfelt project so it’s been really nice to help her.

"Everyone in the team is really talented. It’s been great working with them on such a worthwhile cause. It’s been easy for us to be inspired and work hard on it.”

Mr Garside added: “I’m very proud of my students, they’ve done a fantastic job already. I’m so proud of the effort they’ve put in, the professionalism they have shown and the heart they’ve put into it as well."

Lillie’s Grace’s Nicky Hodges-Rhodes and the students involved in the project will be showcasing the website and ideas for the marketing campaign at Bradford College’s Final Year Project Open Day on May 19. To find out more about the charity, go to lilliesgrace.com