Enfield girl goes to great lengths to raise £1000 for Neuroblastoma UK

Layla, aged nine raises money for vital research into rare childhood cancer

Layla Kirk, aged nine from Winchmore Hill in Enfield, raised an incredible £1,000 by having 16 inches cut from her long locks during lockdown!

Layla chose to support national children’s cancer charity Neuroblastoma UK after hearing about family friends who lost their son to neuroblastoma when he was just five years old. She is also generously donating her long locks to Zichron Menachem, a charity that makes wigs for children in Israel who have lost their hair during cancer treatment.

The money raised by Layla’s family and friends will help fund vital research into neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. Thanks to Layla’s kind gesture, scientists funded by Neuroblastoma UK can progress their research to develop kinder, more effective treatments for children with neuroblastoma.

The big chop on 14 June was only the third time that Layla's hair has ever been cut and she allowed her mum Sam to take off more than 16 inches! Six friends from Wolfson Hillel Primary School in Southgate also cut and donated their hair to Zichron Menachem.

Graeme, Layla’s dad said, “We are delighted to have raised £1000 for Neuroblastoma UK as it’s a charity that is close to our hearts. Our friends, Miranda and Ben, lost their son Alex to neuroblastoma when he was five years old, around seven years ago. Ben was also a Trustee at Neuroblastoma UK for a number of years. Layla wouldn’t have known or remembered Alex but she is a very caring and sensitive girl who understands how important this is to us as a family, to our group of friends, and to the wider world.

“We are so proud of Layla and it was wonderful to see so many people support her kind-hearted gesture. She’s thrilled with her new look - especially now with the hot weather! Layla’s chuffed to bits to have raised a fantastic amount of money for a really great cause.”

The family raised a further £200 for Neuroblastoma UK by selling their old books.

Katherine Mobey, Fundraising Manager at Neuroblastoma UK said, “Around two children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma every week in the UK. That’s around 100 children every year. Most children diagnosed with neuroblastoma are under the age of five. Thanks to kind people like Layla raising £1000 for our small charity, we can help scientists search for new and kinder treatments for children with neuroblastoma.

“As a charity, we receive no government funding so we are truly grateful to Layla for choosing to support Neuroblastoma UK. We urgently need more people to raise money at home, school or work, and help us continue funding much-needed research into this rare and aggressive cancer.”

To support Layla, visit her fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/graeme-kirk2

To organise your own fundraising event and support Neuroblastoma UK, visit neuroblastoma.org.uk/community-fundraising and download your fundraising guide.

ENDS