Community rallies together to raise £30,000 for youngster with rare cancer

Residents of Bridgnorth have been rocked by the news that a five year old has come to the end of his options for cancer treatment in the UK, and a number of events have been held by groups, individuals, organisations and children to hit the target of £750,000.

Rupert Beckett, a student at Castlefields Primary School, was diagnosed with stage four high risk neurblastoma at the age of three and has had two years of chemotherapy, but now his parents want to try a treatment in America.

An online fundraising website and a bank account at Natwest in Bridgnorth have been set up, and so far the total is between £25,000 and £30,000.

Rupert's mother Sarah said she called Rupert's cancer his crocodile, to explain what was causing him pain.

A team of volunteers has got together to plan and organise a host of events and fundraisers which started with Amy Gilmour, aged 11, and her sister Emily, aged eight, both from Castlefields School, singing at Tesco in Low Town on Mother’s Day.

The girls raised more than £300 in two hours.

Castlefields Primary School students and families raised £460 for Rupert's Revenge on the last day of term by dressing up as superheroes.

Bridgnorth Rugby Club donated its admission costs and raffle funds to Rupert's Revenge at its latest lunch.

More than £3,000 was donated after the event.

Also, there will be a team of walkers at Bridgnorth Lions Walk dedicated to raising funds for the appeal, and Bridgnorth Lions Club will be donating funds from its year fundraising to the appeal.

A "toddle waddle" will be held in Bridgnorth on May 14, with all funds raised going to Rupert's cause.The event will start from Castle Walk and end at Crown Meadow where there will be entertainment for families including crafts tents, face painting, balloon making and bouncy castles and refreshments.

Meanwhile, a one-day music festival based in Wheathill, between Ludlow and Bridgnorth, will be raising money for Rupert's Revenge on August 5.

Rupert's aunt Liz Beckett said his mother is "overwhelmed" with the response.

She said: "I have spoken to Sarah and she is absolutely overwhelmed with the response.

"She always says how can we begin to thank people for their kindness.

"It's not just people giving money, it's people raising awareness and talking about it.

"It's really brought the community together and Sarah is very aware of that. She's in Bristol now at hospital as Rupert isn't well enough to come out.

"On the online page we've raised more than £10,000 but there's money going in directly into the account we set up in Natwest, so altogether we think we've raised about £25,000 to £30,000.

"At the moment it's the people of Bridgnorth and the surrounding areas raising money but we're going to need to get it to go further if we're going to raise the money needed."

For more information, or to donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/RupertsRevenge