Shropshire girl becomes youngest Founder of £5million cancer appeal
At just nine-years-old, Alba Evans from Shrewsbury is the youngest person to become a Founder of a £5million appeal to develop cancer services across the region.
The region’s primary cancer charity, Lingen Davies Cancer Support, launched its £5million Sunflower Appeal to develop cancer services across the region in June 2025.
After hearing about the appeal, Alba Evans took it upon herself to host a dedicated fundraiser to raise some money, donating £758 to the charity as a result.
Alba said: “My mum told me about the Sunflower Appeal and what Lingen Davies was raising the money for, and I thought it sounded like an important thing to try and help. We made lots of cakes and things out of resin like jewellery to sell which was lots of fun and it all turned out really well.
“I really enjoyed fundraising for Lingen Davies, so I’d definitely do it again,” she added.
As one of the first 100 people to donate £500 or more to the Sunflower Appeal, Alba has been officially recognised as a Founder. This means she will receive a unique badge celebrating her Founder status, as well as being permanently recognised in the new Lingen Davies Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital when it opens in 2029.
The Sunflower Appeal is Lingen Davies’s largest appeal to date, aiming to raise £5million by 2029 to fund the development of a Cancer Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
Currently nearly 40% of people currently accessing care in the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital have a TF postcode so this development will ensure those people have access to care closer to home.
The new Centre will also double chemotherapy capacity across the region meaning people from Mid Wales, Shrewsbury, and Telford and Wrekin can access the care they need, where they need, quicker.
Angela Hill, Community Fundraiser at Lingen Davies, said: “When Alba came to us with her fundraising ideas, we could see how incredibly motivated she was to make a difference. In all my time working at Lingen Davies I never fail to be blown away whenever someone comes to us wanting to raise money for us, especially when they’re as young as Alba.
“It’s been a true honour supporting Alba and it was a pleasure seeing her dedicate her time to supporting our Sunflower Appeal. Every penny she raised brings us another step forward in bringing cancer services to Telford which is utterly fantastic.”
As the region’s primary cancer charity, Lingen Davies Cancer Support is dedicated to ensuring everyone across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales has access to excellent cancer care locally.
Find out more about the Lingen Davies Sunflower Appeal at lingendavies.co.uk/sunflower-appeal.
