Brother's sadness inspires young fundraiser (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Brother's sadness inspires young fundraiser

10:00am Tuesday 31st July 2012 in News By Laura Shack

A BIGHEARTED sister has pledged to keep fundraising for a children’s cancer charity after seeing her little brother’s heartbreak at the loss of a friend.

Cirencester Deer Park student Charlie McQueen is no stranger to cancer.

The 15-year-old's dad recently recovered from the disease and she said it was a very scary thing to go through as a family.

But when her eight-year-old brother Matthew lost his friend Timmy Mason to cancer last year, the reality of the disease really struck home.

Charlie, from Siddington, said: "My little brother was friends with Timmy and he was very upset when he died.

"It made me think just how horrible it would be for me to lose him."

So Charlie decided to help the Timmy Mason Trust, which was set up in the former Ampney Crucis Primary School pupil's memory with the aim of creating a holiday home for children with cancer.

"What the trust is doing is such a great thing," Charlie said. "I know we would want the same sort of help if my little brother was ill."

Charlie has raised £400 for the trust so far with plenty of cake sales and other fundraising activities. Her next scheme, with the help of Matthew, is to take part in a car boot sale in Quenington in August. A date has yet to be fixed.

To find out more about the Timmy Mason Trust and to donate visit timmystrust.org or look out for the red wellington collection boxes in some Cirencester stores.