Fund for Ben Sambrook has now raised £90,000

A fund set up by a Black Country mother after her son was diagnosed with a brain tumour has raised £90,000, she revealed today.

The Ben Sambrook Trust Fund reached its fundraising target of £75,000 shortly before its three year anniversary in July - but it has continued to pull in funds.

Sharon and Steve Sambrook, from Aldridge, launched the fund after their son, now aged 11, was diagnosed with a malignant tumour the size of a golf ball, aged just eight.

Cash from Ben's fund is ploughed into the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, the UK's leading charity dedicated to brain tumour research.

The youngster, who is a pupil at Aldridge School, had weeks of radiotherapy, months of chemotherapy and two operations to remove the tumour. Ben has regular scans to ensure the cancer has not returned and was given another clean bill of health last month.

Mrs Sambrook, aged 41, said: "Ben's doing really well. He's just happy-go-lucky. He's moved up to secondary school and has made lots of new friends. He loves his art."

A Robbie Williams tribute evening at Pier 39 in Sutton Coldfield in June raised £2,500 for the fund. And in March, a series of tea parties organised for Brain Tumour Awareness Month raised £2,000.

Mrs Sambrook added: "A lot of people have made a donation instead of sending out Christmas cards. We may do a charity ball next year. I would love to hit the £100,000 mark." The mother-of-two, who also has an eight-year-old daughter called Emily, has been setting up a parent befriending service for disability charity Scope's Face 2 Face scheme, set to launch in the Sandwell area early next year.

The scheme offers a network of trained volunteer befrienders who can help parents who have had news that their child has a disability.

Mrs Sambrook added: "I believe in this service. I think it will help families who have received a diagnosis and are struggling to come to terms with it. You go on such an emotional journey and they will be able to talk to people who have gone through the same thing."

Last year Ben was honoured by the Aldridge District Lions' Club for not missing a day of school despite weeks of treatment.