Macmillan Cancer Support gets cash boost from Brandon girl's baking

Ava Rooney of Brandon, near Durham, was prompted to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support after she had found out her nana Mags was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Mum Carol Rooney said. “Ava has had a pretty tough time. Her grandad suffered two strokes during lockdown and then just after Christmas we got the devastating diagnosis that my mother-in-law, Nana Mags, had lung cancer.

“Ava said she wanted to do something to help and decided to make to make some Easter egg cheese cakes and sell them locally. She made £40.

Ava Rooney

“She then decided that she wanted to go bigger and raise even more money, so with the help of my mum, Grandma Bobby, she set about making Easter egg cheese cakes, and scones. I helped by making lots of fairy cakes.

“The school gave her Friday afternoon to bake and we all worked together, because we are in the same care bubble.

“Her grandad made some corned beef pies, which we call purple pies because my son couldn’t pronounce it when he was little.

“Ava made a video announcement on Facebook and soon the orders were flooding in.

“We did socially-distanced drop off and she also set up a little table where passers by could help themselves for a donation in a Covid-safe way.

“Ava could not believe when she counted the donations up and realised that she had a made £650. That is on top of the £40 she raised earlier.

“When I rang Macmillan and told them how much she had made they were amazed. apparently that pays for a Macmillan nurse for one whole week.

“As her parents we just think she is an amazing little girl and we could not be more proud of her.”

She added: “My father-in-law, her Grandad Davey, bought the Easter eggs and donated them for Ava to make the cheesecakes.

“It has been a running joke that he managed not to eat any, because he is a chocoholic.”