A WIRRAL schoolboy has raised more than £300 for the cancer charities that helped his grandad.

When 10-year-old Josh Griffiths was told his grandad Bob had bowel cancer, he sprang in to action.

He organised a cake sale, spent hours baking chocolate muffins, and has just handed over a mouthwatering £340 for the charity Bowel & Cancer Research.

Now his granddad is on the mend, and Josh is considering more charity stunts to help others who might find themselves in a similar situation – like abseiling down a light house.

The Christchurch School pupil said: “When granddad was first diagnosed I was very sad but he knew that, so he battled through it. So now I want to raise money for him and all the other people battling through cancer.

“I thought a cake sale would be good because a lot of people like cakes.

“I did a poster and put it on the garden fence so everyone could see it. My mum went on Facebook. We set it all out and put up balloons and lots of people came. My chocolate muffins were 50p. There were fairy cakes and cookies for 25p. ASDA gave us some cakes that we decorated ourselves.

Wirral Globe:
Josh Griffiths, aged 10, with some of the cakes he made.

“I love my granddad and he loves me. He always takes me places and spends money on me. He’s easy to talk to and he’s never too busy – I can see him whenever. I like going to the park with him and stuff,” said Josh, who wants to be a zookeeper when he grows up.

“I think my granddad has coped very well since bowel cancer is bad. He has been very brave.”

Bob Bell, 68, from Moreton, was diagnosed with bowel cancer after taking part in the national bowel cancer screening programme and the ‘poo stick’ test.

Despite having no symptoms, the test revealed he had liver cancer as well as stage four bowel cancer.  

Bob had chemotherapy and was between operations when Josh’s cake sale took place, but he hobbled along to offer his support.

He has just come home from a second operation to remove the tumour in his bowel.

“Josh is a pleasure and I am immensely proud of him,” said Bob.

“I was surprised and delighted to find out he was fundraising to help others like myself. Not only was the amount he raised staggering, he is also helping raise awareness of bowel cancer and for that I couldn't be happier.”

Josh’s mum, Katie Keane, said she too is incredibly proud.

She said: “Josh and my dad are like kindred spirits. We’re so grateful to all the people who turned up for the bake sale – some of them complete strangers. We were rushed off our feet.”

Chief Executive of Bowel & Cancer Research Deborah Gilbert thanked Josh and his family for their support.

She said: “It’s great news that Bob Bell is recovering. And we’re very grateful to Josh. It is our mission to fund research so that no one will die of bowel cancer in future. We can only do that with the help of fantastic fundraisers like Josh.”