Kids caring for cancer

04/03/2010

Kind hearted children across the region have raised more than £1,000 to help build a drop-in centre for people who are affected by cancer.

Pupils from seven North East schools entered the Northumbrian Water competition to design, build, decorate and fill a moneybox to fund a Maggies centre.

The schools, Glynwood Primary School, Gateshead, St Aloysius Junior School, Hebburn, Star of the Sea RC Primary School, Whitley Bay, Bede Burn Primary School, Jarrow, St Andrew’s CE First School, Heddon on the Wall, Hadrian Park Primary School, Wallsend, Newcastle, and St Anthony’s Girls School, Sunderland, raised £1188.06 for the centre, which will hopefully make a traumatic time easier to cope with.

Glynwood Primary School raised the most cash, a total of £391.76, and St Aloysuis RC Junior School, Star of the Sea RC Primary School and Bede Burn Primary School, who raised £105.25, £110.79 and £216.40 respectively, also received prizes for the design of their moneybox. Prizes included tickets to Newcastle Eagle basketball and Newcastle Vipers ice hockey matches and visits from the water company’s H2O Gang (a group of life-size cartoon characters who educate children about the world of water).

St Andrew’s CE First School raised £147.83, Hardrian Park Primary School, £21.42 and St Anthony’s Girls School £194.61.

One in three people face being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime – 15,000 people receive this devastating news every year in the North East.

Situated next to the newly built cancer treatment facility at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, the £3 million Maggies will eventually provide emotional and practical support, resources and information, benefits advice and many other forms of self-help when it is built.

Maggie’s North East community fundraiser, Denise Heron, said: “Many children feel distressed an isolated when someone in their family receives a diagnosis of cancer. ‘Kids days’ will be part of the innovative range of support offered by Maggies North East to help parents and their children. It is heart warming that our North East schools are helping us to building this much needed cancer caring centre.”

Jane Morland, Northumbrian Water’s corporate responsibility team leader, said: “The schools that participated were amazing. I am really impressed by the amount of money that has been raised for Maggies and also by the range of colourful and innovative moneyboxes made by the students. Cancer can be such a devastating illness, which not only affects the individual but also their family and friends, and I feel proud that we have been able to contribute to the centre.”

For further information, contact Cara Hall on 0191 301 6720.