Sisters jump to it for young victims

Published on Friday 28 March 2008 09:36

A CHARITY concert arranged by two sisters who were inspired by a young cancer victim has raised more than £2000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Jodie and Ashley Darge, aged 14 and 11, teamed up with nine friends to stage the night of song and dance at Drylaw Parish Church.

They chose the charity after reading in the Evening News about tragic Kim Mallon, a 12-year-old who died from cancer.

Ashley said: "We thought it would be nice to do it for Cancer Research because many of our relatives had died from it. Then my mum came through with an Evening News and said: 'If you're really serious about doing this, you might want to look at this'. It was almost like it was meant to be."

The girls recently lost their grandfather to an asbestos-related cancer, and their uncle, Kevin Stewart, died from a malignant myothelioma five years ago aged just 36. They have also lost three great-grandparents to the disease.

More than 160 people attended the concert on March 15, which included pieces from Disney musicals and West End shows.

Raffle prizes included signed Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic memorabilia, a Nintendo Wii, donated by Scottish Gas, as well as prizes from Edinburgh Zoo, Ocean Terminal, the Playhouse and the Dakota hotel.

Mum Michelle today paid tribute to her daughters, saying: "It's such a young age to start campaigning for something like this, but they've obviously been affected by the number of people close to them that died. The girls wanted to turn that into something positive."

The money raised – 2162 – will go towards new specialist teenage cancer units at the Western General and the Sick Kids Hospital.

Lynne McNicoll, volunteer fundraiser for the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: "The money raised by Jodie and Ashley will make a real difference."

&#149 www.teenagecancertrust.org