HE’S now the star of the Echo’s Mine’s A Pint campaign and his story continues to inspire everyone around him.

Five-year-old Billy from Swanage, who is battling leukaemia, has had to have several life-saving blood transfusions during the course of his treatment.

His story was first published earlier this year as part of the Echo’s appeal for more blood donors and people have been showing their support in various ways ever since.

Last month five members of staff at Billy’s after school club in Poole signed up to become blood donors and last week 37-year-old Steve Trickett who has a mobile catering van in Tower Park donated half his day’s taking to the Poole and District Children’s Cancer Fund (PDCCF).

For the charity which supports families of children with blood cancers, was a lifeline for Billy’s mum Claire who was signed off work when Billy was admitted to hospital for two weeks following his diagnosis. It was then she realised she couldn’t afford to pay the bills.

“I wasn’t being paid towards the end of the last year, I was getting statutory sick pay and that was it,” she said.

“I phoned the counsellor at the hospital and said I didn’t know how I was going to pay my bills.”

Claire, a single mum who now works part-time, was put in touch with the PDCCF which took over her bills leaving her free to concentrate on her son.

Now her work colleagues have raised £150 for the charity by donating their birthday money collections and organising a cake bake sale.

“I was in tears when they told me what they were going to do because it means a lot to have their support,” said Claire.

“It’s good to know that this money will help other local families in a similar situation to us.”

Children's cancer fund - The Poole and District Children’s Cancer Fund was set up in 1994 and became a registered charity in 1996.

- It was set up by a small group of local people to help improve the quality of life for children undergoing treatment for cancer at Poole Hospital.

- The charity is run entirely by volunteers so every penny raised is used for the benefit of the charity.

- To support the charity please email pddcf@yahoo.co.uk - And don’t forget to sign up for the Echo’s Mine’s A Pint campaign. All you have to do is to visit blood.co.uk or call the donor helpline on 0300 123 23 23 quoting the Daily Echo’s campaign code Z76. To find out why it maters, go to our Mine's a Pint page