A GROUP of Chepstow friends has pulled together to raise funds after a little girl of four was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a form of cancer.

"Team Ellie", which has now swollen from an original six members to 17, is planning a 5km run at Bute Park in Cardiff to help the Noah's Ark charity which helps youngsters like Ellie who have to spend time in hospital.

And already their fundraising has soared past the original aim of £1,000 and is close to £2,000.

"Team Ellie began as a response to a shock – a terrible shock," said original member Tessa Legg.

"Our great friends Suzy and Jim Lawn were hit with the greatest fear of all parents when their eldest daughter Eloise – Ellie – was diagnosed with cancer in early January 2012.

"Many of our children have known Ellie since day one (and before!) and she is a very precious friend. Her treatment at Cardiff Children's Hospital is now well under way and she is responding well to the chemotherapy.

"Our close-knit group of friends have all witnessed Jim and Suzy handle these frightening events with incredible strength, but have felt fairly useless in being able to offer any practical help.

"Then a small gesture that one of us, Hari Fell, thought of was for six close friends to do a 5km run, try to recruit runners and fund-raise for the Noah's Ark Charity, which supports the Cardiff Children's Hospital where Ellie and her parents are staying.

"Not only is it a mega challenge for some of us unfit mums, it helps us to channel our energies into something positive on a daily basis, and raise awareness, support and sponsorship for our friends and other families and children coping with cancer.

"Our small group has now blossomed into 17 runners and since we started to appeal for sponsorship a week ago, our Justgiving page has gone stellar!"

team-ellie and the team are also planning events to support the CLIC Sargent and Latch charities.

The team now includes Suzy Lawn, Tessa Legg, Abbe Opher, Hari Fell, Sarah Al-Nuaimi, Cara Hill, Sharon Jones, Anna Marshall, Rosalind Wads­worth, Mhairi Hamilton-Davies, Sarah Jones, Claudia Peake, Tracy Derrett, Rebecca Greenway, Nicola Page, Louise Salter and Sarah Phillips.