AN eight-year-old girl has been given a prestigious award at the NATO summit - for her charity joke book.

Grace Franklin, from Billingham, was presented with the UK's 100th Point of Light volunteering award at the summit in Wales last week.

Grace would always end her phonecalls to her soldier father serving in Afghanistan with a joke to make it easier to say goodbye.

Her father, Captain Glen Franklin was posted there in 2012 before retiring in 2013. Grace missed him and found it upsetting when they ended their phone and skype calls.

Instead, she started telling a joke each time they had to hang up, helped by her mother Jenny and sister Elizabeth, 17.

Grace, who goes to Pentland Primary School in Billingham, spent six months writing all the jokes down and published "The Little Book of Jokes" last year. It has since sold over 600 copies and raised over £650 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

She was invited to the NATO summit along with American Point of Light winner and fellow military daughter, 18-year-old Michaela Coplen from Pennsylvania, to discuss how military children can be supported.

They ran a workshop for military children at Llantwich Major school before being officially presented with their awards by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on board HMS Duncan in Cardiff Bay. The Points of Light awards are to honour shining examples of volunteers and Grace will now work with Michaela to encourage others to volunteer.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Grace turned a difficult time for her family into an opportunity to put smiles on faces and raise money for a good cause.

"It’s fantastic that Grace will now pair up with US Point of Light winner Michaela Coplen to grow their volunteering together at home and abroad.”

Grace said: "I believe that if everyone just did a little bit to help the world would be a better place. I’m just doing my little bit to help. I feel excited and very proud to be given this award.”

She said her favourite joke in the book was 'What do you get if a monster sits on Batman and Robin? A flatman and ribbon!”