A BURNLEY schoolgirl raised nearly £600 after hearing about the plight of a poorly four-year-old.

Imogen Mansfield, aged nine, a pupil at Lowerhouse Primary School, decided to take action after hearing about the Sam Shaw Appeal.

Hoddlesden youngster Sam has neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer, and his family are trying to raise £250,000 to send him to America for potentially life-saving treatment.

Imogen’s mum Lisa said the Year Four pupil had gone out of her way to help the appeal after hearing about Sam.

She said: “I was doing some fundraising through my work in a nursery and Imogen asked me what I was collecting for. When she found out she said she wanted to help and organised a bake sale at school.

“Over six weeks we baked and decorated buns together and then she took them in on Fridays.”

Not content with baking up a storm in the kitchen, Imogen also took on a 25-mile cycle ride from Glasson Dock up through Lancaster to Morecambe Bay and back again. In the end she topped her £500 target to raise £580.

“It was further than she had ever ridden before and I am very proud of her,” Mrs Mansfield said.

“What’s lovely is she decided to do it all of her own accord. She realises how lucky she is not to be ill and wanted to help.”

Imogen’s headteacher Claire Holgate said everyone was proud of her fund-raising efforts. She said: “She worked so hard and has put so much thought into how she would help.

“She is a very caring pupil anyway, but went the extra mile for the appeal.”

The Sam Shaw Appeal has so far raised close to £140,000, with his family hoping he will be able to undergo pioneering treatment in September.