A CANCER charity under a new name has celebrated raising more than £100,000 in four years.

Friends and supporters of the Wensleydale branch of Bloodwise, previously known as Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, raised £25,600 in the past year, with a particularly successful Beating Blood Cancer Ball in Leyburn which attracted 383 guests and raised £18,600.

Set up in 2012 the aim originally was to raise £50,000, but after a huge amount of hard work and effort the group have now presented £101,855 to the charity. Friends and supporters gathered for a social evening in Bellerby to mark the milestone.

Spokeswoman Julie Moffitt said: "Thank you to everybody for all their efforts over the last year. We have lots planned for the new year and will continue to raise money and make a difference for this cause.”

The fund was set up 55 years ago by a family from Middlesbrough whose daughter died from leukaemia.

Susan Eastwood died just weeks short of her seventh birthday. Her parents Hilda and David Eastwood were so devastated they decided to set up the charity to raise funds for research.

Susan’s sister Sylvia Gaunt, who still helps run the charity today, said: "Back then there wasn’t much hope at all for children with leukaemia, and we were devastated when the doctors told us Susan wouldn’t make it through Christmas.

"If Susan was diagnosed today, there’s a nine in ten chance that she’d live, that’s thanks to research funded by the wonderful support of so many people over the years.”

Catriona Tait, regional manager of Bloodwise, thanked the Wensleydale group for their support. She told members: “What an incredible amount you have raised. This will make a huge contribution to our charity and a difference to all the work we currently undertake. We rely completely on voluntary funding.”