A FUNDRAISING event for a two-year-old Chippenham girl battling leukaemia has raised more than £3,000 to help her and her family.

Bella Robinson was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, last month after her parents, Karl Robinson and Lisa Lock, noticed a lump growing on her abdomen and she is currently receiving treatment at Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Friends have launched a fundraising page to help the family during this difficult period, and an event was held at St Peter’s School in Chippenham on Sunday (December 18) which raised the £3,000.

Samantha Neale, a friend and one of the organisers of the event, said: “It’s quite a big group of us all doing it and although we have set up the JustGiving page this is the first event but it went really well.

“We got the total of £3,000 which absolutely exceeded our expectations.

“When we phoned Karl and Lisa they were absolutely gobsmacked and they came along for a little bit.

“It’s just taken the pressure off them, they don’t have to worry as much.

“Bella has got to have two years of treatment I think but she’s doing really well, she wakes up every morning with a smile on her face.

“We have done it because we want to help.”

The event, which was held from 9am-5pm at St Peter’s School on Lord Mead, included beauty treatments, face painting, craft stalls, bouncy castle and homemade cakes.

The Calne Brass Band performed on the day and there was a raffle which included donations from furniture company Herman Miller and the Castle Combe Circuit.

“It was a good turnout, I wouldn’t know exactly how many people came along but there was a steady stream throughout the day,” added Miss Neale, 28, who works as a district nurse.

“The community really came together.”

A total of £5,349 has already been raised through one JustGiving page within 30 days and another has been launched to continue raising the funds.

For more information or to donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/luke-sartain