Award for food blogger and fundraiser Martha Payne

Martha Payne, writer of a blog on school dinners and a fundraiser for good causes, was named Scot of the year 2012 by charity for Scots in London.

Martha, a ten-year-old schoolgirl from Lochgilphead in Argyll, was honoured by ScotsCare for helping charity Mary’s Meals.

The award – made to coincide with celebrations of the life and works of poet and humanitarian Robert Burns – recognised her fundraising campaign to support schools in Malawi, south-east Africa, through her blog about school dinners which has raised more than £120,000.

She has since visited Malawi to see what the money she has raised is doing to help impoverished schoolchildren.

Martha began her blog in April last year. An attempt to ban her photos met with a storm of internet protest.