Two local organisations have gone the extra mile for the Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of Lucy Bland, of Edenhall, who died in January 2022, having battled leukaemia.
Penrith Swimming Club, of which 13-year-old Lucy was a treasured member, said she “brought a smile to every training session and gala”.
A total of 86 club members swam lengths at Penrith Leisure Centre in an attempt to reach the distance to Newcastle and back to Penrith — as Lucy was treated at the city’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The event was well supported and the 86 swimmers collectively swam 8,620 lengths, totalling 215.5km.
The club presented a cheque for £3,204 to Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity close to both Lucy and her family’s hearts.
The trust creates world class cancer services for young people in the UK, providing life-changing care and support so they don’t have to face cancer alone.
Also fundraising for the charity in Lucy’s memory were Penrith young farmers, of which Lucy and her family were active members.
The club held a raffle and also a big breakfast event, raising £2,000.
Over the past 12 months, a staggering £42,048.56 has been raised in Lucy’s memory by friends, family and the wider community.
A pupil at Penrith’s Ullswater Com-munity College, Lucy was the daughter of Matt and Sue Bland.
