MOST youngsters can't wait to open their birthday presents, dropping hints as to what they would like in the weeks running up to their big day.

But Anushka Kishore was over the moon not to have received any presents on her birthday when she turned 9.

And this month she received a certificate of thanks for her kindness on her birthday on August 31

For the big-hearted youngster asked for birthday money and cash which would have been spent on presents to be donated to When You Wish Upon a Star, the charity that aims to grant wishes to seriously ill children.

Anushka, who is a Year Five pupil at Bolton School, said: "My mummy is a children’s doctor and showed me a couple of charities that helped children. I liked this particular one as it makes children’s wishes come true! So, I requested in my birthday invites that people donate to the charity instead of giving me gifts."

Anushka is a school charity representative.

She said: "It was exciting to take up a new role which I had not been involved in before. It has been fun sitting with other friends, class reps and Mrs Marsden on a Monday and discussing ideas to raise money for charities."

And the youngster donated £170 to the charity and received a big thank you from the organisation.

Dad Dr Amit Kishore said: "It was fantastic that the decision to donate her birthday money was an automatic decision without prompting, and great that as a charity rep she has done something substantial; her younger sister as well had donated her birthday money to the MPS society last year."

Headteacher Carol Laverick said: "What an amazing thing to do! The charity wrote her a lovely letter to thank her for her generosity and also sent her a certificate."