Worldwide singing phenomenon Susan Boyle has announced that she will be giving up chocolate for Lent to raise money for charity.

The singer declared that she would be giving up the sweet treat to raise money for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (Sciaf) in memory of her mother.

SuBo told press that the charity was “very close to her heart” as her own mother had been collecting for the charitable fund just before she died in 2007 at the age of 91.

The singer made the announcement outside the Glasgow headquarters of the charity.

She said: “I am personally giving up chocolate – apart from it being too fattening, I think the money raised will be phenomenal.”

The Britain's Got Talent star ho has gone on to become the worlds biggest selling artists both this year and last spoke to school children who were present at the launch of the “Wee Box, Big Change” campaign by the charity which encourages people to give up one treat over the period of Lent and to collect money for their efforts to then be donated to charitable causes in developing countries around the world.

Susan Boyle said: “The wee box brings back a lot of memories for me because it has been a charity which is very close to my hear. My mother used to have wee boxes such as this one back at the house and just before she passed away, she began collecting for Sciaf so this brings back a lot of memories for me personally. It is very personal and there is a strong message of hope.”