AN eleven-year-old schoolgirl is on her way to raising £1,000, after completing a gruelling swim in memory of her grandma.

Molly Garvey-Fereday, swam a total of 490 lengths of David Lloyd’s 25m pool or seven miles, in honour of her late grandma, Margaret Garvey, who died on April 1 this year.

As The Press reported at the time, Margaret, 65, lived in Blakeney Place in York, and was an inspiring teacher and director who helped shape York’s amateur music scene - teaching generations to sing.

Sadly she lost her two-year fight against a Glioma brain tumour, but before being diagnosed with cancer, lived a full and active life as a key part of York’s music community.

Molly asked her mum, Margaret's daughter, Fran Garvey-Fereday, how much it had cost to have the nurses take care of Margaret and when she learned the Macmillan team are a charity Molly wanted to say ‘thank you’ to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Molly, a who went to The Mount Junior School in York and lives in Norton near Malton, smashed her target of £500 and has raised £965 to thank the Macmillan team that cared for Margaret all through her illness. They are still supporting Molly and her family. The nurses visited Margaret throughout her two-year fight with cancer.

Macmillan are asking people to do a virtual swim challenge, but Molly, who swims as part of York City Bath Club, organised her own ‘Swim the Thames’, the equivalent of swimming from Big Ben to the Tower of London. She completed her swim wearing her grandma’s costume so that as she says, “she was with me all the way.”

“People have been so kind in supporting my fundraising” said Molly. “The work the Macmillan team does is incredible.”

Molly’s mother said “We are so proud that Molly organised this totally independently, she has done an incredible job.”

Click here to make a donation.