Fulwood schoolgirl uses baking skills to raise over £700 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation

A 9-year-old Fulwood schoolgirl has raised £724 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation using baking skills developed over lockdown.

Saara Ali spent lockdown selling her baked items for charity through her Instagram page, raising £724 for Rosemere, which is now using the funds for an order of 500 wraps or patient treatment gowns.

The polycotton gowns are for patients undergoing radiotherapy at Rosemere Cancer Centre, Lancashire and South Cumbria’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at Royal Preston Hospital.

A patient audit of the gowns’ style was carried out on a previous consignment, funded by Rosemere, and it received almost 100 per cent positive feedback.

Saara with Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s chief officer, Dan Hill.

Linda O’Shea, Principal Therapeutic Radiographer, said: “Comments from patients in terms of sizing and dignity, as well as staff ease of access to treatment areas, were positive.

“In the past, there have been a range of issues: gowns supplied via the hospital laundry room have been lost in transit to radiotherapy, limited availability, gowns not being the right size or covering adequately, and gowns being creased. The cleaning and storage process can cause creasing, but patients have, at times, not believed the gowns to be fresh for their use.

“We are expecting patient referral numbers for radiotherapy to increase due to Covid-19 on diagnostic and surgical services. By being able to give patients a personal gown, which is recycled back into the system for use by other departments, we are making patients more comfortable, and we may also be improving efficiency on the treatment machines.”

Patients will receive a gown for the duration of their radiotherapy treatment, which typically lasts for up to six weeks when administered daily from Monday to Friday.

Saara’s proud mum Farzana, head of Religious Education at Moor Park High School and Sixth Form, said: “Saara has enjoyed working with the Rosemere Cancer Foundation team on this project.

“The charity is close to our hearts as we have family members who have been treated at Rosemere, but it has been good for Saara to learn where her donation is being spent and the positive impact it will have on so many patients.”

Saara is a member of the 10th Fulwood Scouts and a big sister to Rumaysah, 6, and Hanna, 3. She has also used her baking to raise funds for Save the Children.

Gowns will be given to approximately 70 new patients a week at their treatment planning appointment. The total cost of the gowns is £1,625, with the shortfall met by a donation from Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant scheme.

For more from Saara, visit Saara’s Snack Shack on Instagram.

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