A charity dedicated to helping children suffering from cancer will be able to pay for repairs to its two respite homes thanks to a donation from a south Bucks university.

More than £1,200 was donated to Prestwood charity The Thomas Ball Children’s Cancer Fund thanks to staff and students at Bucks New University, which has a campus in High Wycombe’s Queen Alexandra Road.

Staff in the student services directorate chose the Prestwood-based charity to benefit from their annual fundraising efforts.

The charity was set up in 1999 by the then nine-year-old Thomas Ball who battled aggressive childhood cancer neuroblastoma, and sadly died from the disease in 2003 when the cancer returned after being in remission for three years.

A total of £1,236 was raised through events including a Bake Off competition, tombola, and the staff association quiz, with the money being handed over on Tuesday this week.

Thomas’ mum and chairman of the charity, Elaine Ball, said: “This is such a lovely donation from the University, it would take a long time for us to raise this sort of money.

“I think we’ll use it for the upkeep of our two holiday homes in Hampshire which children with cancer and their families use.

“It’s been so busy down there throughout the summer so there’s a few things which need replacing.”