Charity work is tribute to close friend

SAM: “Holly was a good friend who inspired me to do lots of fund-raising in her memory.”

WHEN Failsworth School student Sam Lewis lost a close friend friend to leukaemia, he vowed to work to keep her memory alive.

That was five years ago, when he was aged 10, and Holly Murphy, who was a year higher at school, had such an influence on his life it sparked a desire to support Cancer Research.

“The charity came in to school to talk to us about Holly and what had happened to her, and that’s how I got involved,” he said.

Sam’s dedication to the cause, which began with him holding a fund-raising jumble sale, earned him a Pride in Oldham nomination.

He held the sale outside the home of his grandfather, Victor Lund, in Douglas Street, Failsworth, and it has now become an annual event.

“Holly was a good friend who inspired me to do lots of fund-raising in her memory,” said Sam, who lives in Farm Street, Failsworth, and has a seven-year-old sister, Jessica.

The teenager organised a coffee morning at St John’s Church, Failsworth, in the summer, to raise money for Cancer Research, and is already planning another.

He is also currently organising a school assembly, when he will speak in front of 300 pupils to tell them about the charity’s work, and he volunteered his help with this year’s Race for Life.

Mrs Lydia Gordon, senior head of house at Failsworth School, said: “Sam is an excellent role model and likes to get involved.”

The teenager’s father, Ray Lewis, said: “While it’s a bit of a surprise that Sam has been nominated for an award, I am extremely proud of him.”