AN inspirational Kendal girl is one of just five people in the country chosen to take part in a special programme for Children in Need.

Ella Wadsworth, 17, will team-up with Countryfile and One Show presenter Matt Baker to climb a mountain in Wales - despite being almost blind.

Unperturbed by how hard the climb is going to be, Ella is determined to get to the top, saying: "I have to do it - there's no other option."

Children in Need has a profile on every child they help and Ella, who has used services at Sight Advice South Lakeland for many years, got a phone call out of the blue to ask if she would take part in 'Ramble' - a show where different Countryfile presenters do walks with disabled children.

After 'a bit of a shriek' she agreed and a couple of weeks later she was on a practice walk with Matt Baker at Orrest Head, Windermere.

Matt will be Ella's guide during the big climb, which will take place on Saturday (Oct 9), but he might need some practice before the main event.

"He was quite charming but he did relate the experience to sheepdog herding," joked Ella, who will also be helped by long-term Sight Advice worker and friend Jan Quinn.

And determined Ella, who has a two-year-old guide dog called Katie, is relishing the challenge.

"It's not something that's in my comfort zone but if people see me doing it then they will know they can do it too," she said.

But it means more than simply climbing a mountain for Ella, it is also a chance to have a spiritual connection with her father.

"My dad passed away a few years ago but we always used to do walks," she said. "It's a way to connect with him.

"Countryfile and Children in Need have given me an opportunity that I have never had before."

The show is set to air on Friday, November 13, on the BBC.

For more information on Sight Advice, which is based at Sticklandgate House, Kendal, and aims to improve the quality of life for all visually impaired people, visit www.sightadvice.org.uk/joomla/