The five-year-old granddaughter of an Arsenal icon has been busy cycling during lockdown to raise money for charity.

Determined youngster, Betty-Leigh Allinson, decided to cycle a mile a day in a bid to raise £500 for a local hospice - but has already smashed through the £5,000 barrier thanks to the generosity of friends and family.

Big-hearted Betty is the grandchild of former Gunners forward Ian Allinson, and started her charity fundraiser by cycling in an Arsenal shirt.

Betty’s grandmother Jean – who is Ian’s wife - works tirelessly throughout the year as a fundraiser for Garden House Hospice Care in north Herts  – so the kind youngster decided to channel her efforts towards such a good cause.

The hospice provides free specialist palliative care for patients, families and carers facing life limiting illnesses and has a medical team of highly experienced doctors and nurses.

However, the outbreak of Covid-19 has put strain on the budgets of many hospitals, care homes and hospices up and down the land – not to mention their dedicated teams of doctors, nurses, carers and key workers. The Garden House Hospice is no different – which is where Betty comes in.

Kind-hearted Betty steps up - in her Arsenal shirt

Betty started her campaign by donating £7 from her piggy bank – a sum she had carefully saved for a now-cancelled trip to Euro Disney that Ian and Jean were to take her on before the coronavirus pandemic gripped the globe.

Generous Betty, undeterred by missing out on a longed-for visit to see Mickey Mouse, used her pennies to kick-start her fundraising.

The inspirational youngster explained: “I have just learned to ride my bike without stabilisers during lockdown.

“My nanny Jean works really hard at Garden House to raise funds for them, but due to the current situation they have had to cancel all their fundraising events and close their charity shops – which means they will lose around £25,000 a week.

“So I decided to help them raise some money by riding my bike for one mile every day until the end of lockdown.

“I’m wearing my Arsenal kit for my granddad who used to play for Arsenal – but I also want to wear a different football kit everyday – so if any football league or non-league clubs want to donate me a shirt to wear I would like that very much.”

Betty's granddad Ian played for The Arsenal

Ian, who played for Arsenal between 1983 and 1987, is to donate his 1987 Littlewoods Cup final tracksuit to boost little Betty’s cause at a future fundraiser, adding “I’m so proud of Betty.”

Through Betty’s heartwarming efforts and the generosity of friends and family the tenacious youngster has already smashed through the £5,000 mark – with hopefully more to come.

Proud mum Faye said: “She’s been amazing, we’re so, so proud of her. We didn’t expect her to raise so much money!

"It’s really escalated and we’re all absolutely blown away.

“We have had so much support from the world of football, everyone has pulled together to help from so many different clubs. 

"We’ve had shirts from Stevenage, Wealdstone, Cambridge, Boreham Wood, Hemel, Hendon to name but a few and they keep coming. We can’t thank everyone enough.”

Dad Lee – who is boss of Hendon and a rising star in non-league managerial circles – added: “I am immensely proud of my daughter. 

"It’s been a tough time for everyone, including people in football, and it’s been enjoyable to watch Betty’s progress to take our mind off things. I’ve loved spending time with her.”

As Betty’s parents said, the world of football has stepped up during Covid-19 and played its part, with so much support.

Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter donated a signed Arsenal matchball to aid Betty’s cause - from the club who were once managed by Ian, and who regularly host the Arsenal Women's side and U23 matches.

Further Arsenal links helping Betty’s cause

Arsenal’s highly-rated centre-back Danny Ballard who had been on loan to Swindon last year before a season-ending injury is a family friend and best pals with Faye's older son Luca.

Ballard, who has already been called up to the Northern Ireland first team squad - even if he didn’t manage to make his debut - has promised to give Betty the international shirt he was given, so that she can wear it during her daily bike ride.

For good measure, Betty has already worn the Swindon shirt Ballard gave her after his spell at the League Two club.

Betty’s uncle Alfie Burden - who was a promising youngster on Arsenal’s books until a leg injury curtailed his career, turning his hand to become a world-renowned snooker player, is also helping.

UPDATE: David Beckham has even chipped in with a shirt for Betty to wear. The amount raised now stands at a stunning £7,400 - and counting!

To donate to Betty’s superb fundraising efforts visit her JustGiving page here

Follow Betty’s progress through her mum Faye’s Twitter account here

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Layth’s note on Ian Allinson: For many Gooners who watched the club in the 1980s Ian Allinson is a true Arsenal hero - with his greatest night coming in the never-to-be-forgotten Littlewoods Cup semi-final replay on March 4, 1987.  

With time running out, George Graham’s Gunners were 1-0 down with a trip to Wembley on offer, when Ian came on late in the game as a substitute for the injured Charlie Nicholas at White Hart Lane, helping to spark an incredible, backs-to-the wall recovery.

In front of more than 10,000 travelling Arsenal fans packed in the away end, including myself, Ian scored a late equaliser before, with only seconds remaining, his deflected shot fell into the path of the late David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle for him to slot home - sending the Gunners to Wembley for the first time in seven years, while leaving Arsenal supporters of a certain vintage forever grateful to Ian and Rocky.