A BROMSGROVE boy is proving he has a big heart - even though he was born with only half of one - by encouraging swimmers to take part in a charity swimathon.

Last year, the Advertiser reported on young Thomas Evans' 102-length charity swim, and a year on, the 12-year-old is encouraging others to follow in his stead in aid of Little Hearts Matter.

Thomas's very serious congenital heart condition is called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, which means only half of his heart functions properly and he becomes out of breath very quickly, making exercise extremely difficult.

But Thomas didn't let his illness hold him back, raising an impressive £1,700 at last year's Big Hearted Swimathon - and he plans to beat his total this time around.

Thomas said: "Surprisingly, I didn’t find it that hard to reach my length goal, so when I do it this year I will probably have a goal of 160 lengths, which is equal to about 2.4 miles.”

The determined youngster has now written a set of tips to encourage others to join him this summer to raise money for other children with half a heart.

Thomas advises beginners to practice at their local swimming pool first, to use social media to raise money, and to set up a fundraising page online.

Fundraisers should start off with a low target - in terms of money and lengths - and get as many family and friends involved in the fundraising as possible, says Thomas.

For more information on the Little Hearts Matter Big Hearted Swimathon, visit lhm.org.uk.