Hampshire fundraiser Archie Kill inspired by mum Sally battling breast cancer up for national award

When Archie Kill’s mum was battling breast cancer he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

He had seen his mum go through chemotherapy and had visited the Wessex Haven with her.

READ: Many happy returns!: Breast Cancer Haven Wessex celebrates first birthday >>>

As previously reported by the Daily Echo the time, Archie, then eight years old, and 90 other year four Berrywood Primary School pupils raised just more than £2,200 - in just 15 minutes with sponsored silence one lunchtime.

And now the young charity fundraiser is down to the final four in a national fundraising competition.

Staff at the Haven in Titchfield were so impressed by his efforts that they have nominated him for Best Young Fundraiser category of the National Fundraising Awards.

Young Archie will go to London for a special black tie dinner with more than 700 fundraising industry professionals to see if he has won.

Fundraiser Heidi Rehman said: “We were just so impressed with him. It was his enthusiasm and motivation to help other people who are in a similar situation as his mum that we loved.

“I think Archie has touched every one of us here. He thought long and hard about what he wanted to do.”

During the sponsored silence the children used their quiet time to make cards for visitors to the Haven, with encouraging words like ‘stay positive’ and ‘think happy thoughts.’

Archie’s mum Sally, a 38-year-old PA from Hedge End started going to the Haven last year just after she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in September 2015 - a rare but aggressive type of cancer which isn’t hormonal but is usually found in young women.

PICTURE: Archie Kill, front centre in school uniform, and his schoolmates celebrate the end of their sponsored silence in aid of The Haven, Berrywood Primary School, Hedge End

Sally had chemotherapy for six months and an operation to have the lymph nodes removed in her arm - and then had three weeks of radiotherapy.

She said: “I had found a lump under my arm, went to the doctor’s and he sent me to hospital.

“Then Archie came down to the Haven with me and saw how the treatments and therapies were helping me.

“He saw an article about how a little girl had raised money and said he wanted to do the same for me.

“He said he wanted to do something at school and they were very supportive, especially his teacher Mrs Ainsworth.

“They really got into the spirit of it and it was such a positive thing to do and it made it into something quite fun.

“It gave him something to focus on when I was poorly and really feeling my worst.”

Staff at the Haven were able to put together a programme for Sally which included counselling, reflexology and some massage.

Although she is on the mend now, she said the Haven and its staff were instrumental in getting her back on her feet.

“It’s just a place you can go to feel comfortable talking about stuff like the horrible hair loss. I found the hospital setting gloomy and depressing so it was incredible to go somewhere light and airy that’s not a medical place.

“It really is a haven - everything there is very positive when you’re really feeling negative.”

And although their ordeal has been tough, the Kill family - including Sally’s husband Ben, a teacher and their four year old daughter Kitty - have made firm friends with staff and other visitors at the Haven.

Sally said: “I’ve made some good friends there and the staff always make Archie feel at home - they make a fuss of him and Kitty. There’s always sweets there for them and they both feel very comfortable.”

BREAST cancer awareness month will come to an end this Saturday, October 29, with one final fundraising push.

The day is officially “pink beard day”, and staff at the Haven Wessex are urging everyone to get involved – including Daily Echo editor Ian Murray (pictured above). 

He said: “It’s just such an important cancer campaign and it’s great to find some way that you can show some support in a fun way that underscores what is really a very serious subject.

"I urge all beardies to join in on Saturday, pink up and make a donation.”

If you would like to be a hirsute hero you can send your pictures in to picdesk@dailyecho.co.uk. 

You can donate to any cancer research charity, via www.thehaven.org.uk, by texting BCAM35 to 70070, or by phone on 01329 559 295.