Fundraising day tops £2k for campaign

RALLYING round . . . mum Kirsty sister Melika, little brother Emrae and dad Ricky with all their helpers

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GENEROUS fundraisers topped £2,000 for charity as they rallied round a family grieving the loss of their six-year-old 'dancing angel'.

Around 200 residents attended the event in memory of Limeside girl Layla-Rose Ermenekli at the Britannia Tavern.

Friends and family donned pink T-shirts to support Layla's Law ­- a campaign to secure the Meningitis B vaccination for all children after Layla-Rose died suddenly from the disease in February.

Her cousin Nicole Shorrocks, who organised the fundraiser, said: "It went really well. The amount of people who turned up to show their support for our family was amazing and the sun was shining all day. I truly believe our little angel Layla-Rose was looking down on us.

"We raised £2,365 on the day with money still coming in.

"No amount of money can bring Layla back, but it can go towards saving the lives of others."

Donations from the auction, raffle, tombola and face painting as well as other activities will go to Meningitis Now.

The family, headed by Layla-Rose's great-uncle Stephen Carter, will travel to London in early July to lobby as many MPs as possible to push for a change in the law - Layla's Law.

Jim McMahon MP has written to the family pledging to meet with them in London to discuss their campaign.