SHE did it to show her mum she cared.

And now – three years after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer- Lizze McLean is celebrating after raising more then £4,000 for research into the disease.

Friends and family gathered at The Tower in Winchester to toast the 15-year-old, who began her fun-raising campaign in 2008.
She started out by selling £2 silk roses to fellow Kings’ School pupils on Valentine’s Day, raising £550 over two years.

But her campaign received a boost this year when the youngster, of Quarry Road, Winchester, persuaded John Lewis to donate 2,000 roses to her cause, enabling her to roll the scheme out to nine other Hampshire schools. 

“I’m absolutely delighted Project Rose has been a success,” said Victoria McLean, who has been clear of cancer for two-and-a-half years.

“I’m so proud of Lizze, she’s an amazing daughter,” added the 40-year-old., who also has a son Rod, 13.

“When the chips were down and she was really worried bout what wads going to happen to me, she decided to pull out all the stop sand to start this campaign at her school, because it was her way of coping with what was going on.

“And what a wonderful thing to have done.  I’m very touched by the whole thing.”

Lizze, who hopes to make her campaign national and form a charity, said “I’m delighted with how it’s all gone.  I think it’s great.

“All the other pupils who have participated have been really enthusiastic.

“I wanted to show my mum that I cared – she’s great.  I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

Lizze’s head teacher at Kings’ School, Sue Lawrence said “Lizze is truly a legend.

“All too often, I think, young people receive criticism and bad press, so it makes me feel very honoured to be in the company of so many caring and compassionate young people.

Other participants in the project included pupils from The Westgate School, Winchester; The Romsey School; Test Valley School Stockbridge; Swanmore College of Technology; The Mountbatten School, Romsey; Wyvern Technology College, Fair Oak; and Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh.