A CEILIDH held in Newport to raise money for a cancer charity was arranged by a teenager who began fundraising after losing her grandmother to the illness.

Jay Malpas, 15, from Beechwood, has been raising money for cancer charity St Anne’s Hospice since losing her grandmother, Yvonne George, in May last year, aged 82.

Jay said she had been arranging the event for over a year.

She is a volunteer at the hospice and is often supported by her school friends who helped her at their last event at the Newport Centre for the hospice’s annual duck race.

The ceilidh, a traditional Gaelic social gathering, was held at the Lysaght Institute in Newport on Wednesday, and more than 100 friends and family attended.

Jay’s friends have also been helping and selling raffle tickets, organising prizes and looking for guests.

Her mother, Kim Malpas, said: “She has written to lots of local shops and hotels that have kindly donated various prizes. As well as this most of the people who are coming have said they will bring prizes and she has also asked for donations in place of gifts.

“She channelled all her mourning into fundraising and it actually started on the day of her Nan’s funeral when she stood in the porch and shook the bucket right under people’s noses to raise money.

“From then on she just ploughed on with the fundraising and helped out whatever way she could,” she added.

“I feel teenagers are never highlighted for their efforts only their downfalls and Jay and her friends deserve some thanks and recognition for all their help and support.”