BAND AID, Wham! and Mel & Kim may all have gone before him, but one little boy is determined to spread some Christmas cheer with a charity single.

Eleven-year-old Liam Giddins wrote festive ditty Ho Ho Ho at the age of nine-and-a-half and has released it this winter to help orphaned children in South Africa.

The youngster, of Maxwell Street, Bury, started learning guitar at the age of seven and recorded the song earlier this month at the music studio of a family friend.

Liam, who goes to school in Norden, will donate all proceeds to the Winnie Mabaso Foundation which funds an orphanage, pre-school and vocational training in Finetown, South Africa.

Mum Nicola Chaplin hopes the song will become a hit, but said Liam will be happy with any amount of money he raises for Finetown’s needy children.

She said: “My Friend Lisa Ashton received an MBE for founding the Winnie Mabaso Foundation. When Liam told me he wanted to sell the song and donate the proceeds to charity I explained to him what the foundation does and instantly he was eager to send the money there.

“He was so sad the children in the orphanage won’t get Christmas presents and is happy he can help other youngsters with the basics like food and somewhere safe to stay.

“Every penny really does count and we are spreading the word so people can enjoy Liam’s song and raise money for such a lovely charity.” Ho Ho Ho is now available to download for £1 and is already something of an online sensation after its video was shared on Facebook by Welsh singer Aled Jones.

Liam wrote the lyrics and guitar chords himself after Nicola’s partner Roydan Styles urged him to have a go at writing his own compositions.

Nicola, who is in a band with Roydan, said: “Liam was asking Roydan how to play certain songs and chords.

“Roydan said ‘Instead of playing my music, why not write something of your own?’ and about a week later Liam told us he had written a Christmas song.

“We were expecting something a bit silly but as we listened to him we were like ‘That’s brilliant!’ “Liam will definitely have a career in music — already we’ve had comments like ‘Watch out Justin Bieber’.”

To listen to Ho Ho Ho or to make a donation, go to liamgiddins.bandcamp.com and for more information on the Winnie Mabaso Foundation go to winniemabaso.org

See below for Liam's Ho Ho Ho video.