A TWELVE-year-old girl from Barnston raised more than £120 for Leukaemia Research by doing her own sponsored swim. Elizabeth Aspinell, of Highlands Close, decided to do the swim in memory of her aunt Lesley Aspinell who died of the illness aged just 12 ba

A TWELVE-year-old girl from Barnston raised more than £120 for Leukaemia Research by doing her own sponsored swim.

Elizabeth Aspinell, of Highlands Close, decided to do the swim in memory of her aunt Lesley Aspinell who died of the illness aged just 12 back in 1969.

"Mum and Dad have told me all about Auntie Lesley and I have a photograph of her," said Elizabeth. "I'm good at swimming and I thought it would be nice to be able to do something that would help people who have Leukaemia."

Elizabeth took 52 minutes to swim 66 lengths of the swimming pool (that's just more than a mile) at Dunmow Leisure Centre last Wednesday morning.

After completing her challenge it was a quick change into her school uniform before setting off for lessons at Rodings Primary School.

Parents Mark and Linda said: "We are incredibly proud of her organising this.

"We've always told her about Lesley and how, back then, there wasn't the medical help that there is today. It makes it even more poignant that it would have been Lesley's birthday next week."

Once the money has been collected in, Elizabeth will send it to St Ormond Street Hospital.