A MOTHER has inspired a Colchester school to raise hundreds of pounds in the fight against brain cancer.

Ex-paediatric nurse Gemma Edgar’s death before Christmas motivated Friar’s Grove Primary School to take action.

A Christmas Jumper Day and theatrical school production raised £824 for Brain Tumour Research, which mum Gemma, 33, continued to support until her death.

Headteacher Susan Shipp described the positive impact fundraising has had on pupils.

She said: “We pride ourselves on being a caring, welcoming school that helps children develop their personal and emotional skills.

“Fundraising on important issues like this helps our children to understand they can work together to help out others whose lives may be different to their own. I was happy to offer our school field for a bootcamp, and it was an amazing morning with a great atmosphere.

“It was such an uplifting tribute to the family and lovely to see so many people taking part.”

Gazette:

More than £2,000 was added to the charity pot from the event orchestrated by Kirstie Enefer.

Planning for the bootcamp began two-and-a-half months earlier while Gemma was receiving treatment at St Helena’s Hospice for an inoperable brain tumour.

Ms Shipp said: “I’d like to say thank you to all the children and their families who are helping us raise money.

“Every year we choose a charity which has a connection to someone in our school community, but we wanted to go out of our way to raise money for Brain Tumour Research this year in recognition of these sad circumstances.”

Sarah Langford, whose daughter Leah, seven, attends Friar’s Grove, will run the London Marathon this year for the charity too.

The school’s donation will be added to her £5,000 campaign page here.  

On it she wrote: “Gem has a love for running and up until recently, would run at Parkrun every weekend with her dad.

“She bravely ran the London Marathon last year whilst being treated and was able to raise an astounding amount of money for a charity close to her heart.

“I’ve been given this amazing opportunity to be able to run the marathon in honour of her, to raise awareness of the charity and hopefully, be able to help others who suffer with this devastating illness.”