Haywards Heath cancer survivor Florence, 11, performs with Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts

Florence Leppard, 11, was in a choir for children who have experienced a cancer diagnosis. They sang to a star-studded audience at the Children with Cancer UK Gala on Saturday, November 11, at London’s Grosvenor House.

The choir featured 11 kids and their siblings who sang a version of ‘A Million Dreams’ from The Greatest Showman with the Girls Aloud star, supported by musical director Adam Gerber and students from Anglia Ruskin University.

Florence’s mother Kerry said: “To watch Florence perform on stage with Nicola Roberts to hundreds of guests after everything she went through at such a young age, was an incredibly proud and emotional moment. No child should have to receive a cancer diagnosis and we hope that the choir’s performance at the Gala will help increase awareness and understanding of childhood cancer, and raise vital funding to support other young patients and their families who are fighting this devastating disease.”

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In 2014, Florence was diagnosed with Hepatocellular carcinoma – a type of liver cancer – and went through treatment.

The recent gala’s audience included Florence’s parents, Kerry and John, and her sisters Daisy and Elsa. Other audience members included TV personality Vanessa Feltz, journalist Andrea McLean, TV and radio presenter Angellica Bell, interior designer Kelly Hoppen, TV personality Ollie Locke and ambassador for the charity Olympian Paula Radcliffe. The event was hosted by Gaby Roslin. It welcomed more than 600 guests and raised over £620,000 to help fund the charity’s research into the treatment and causes of childhood cancers. Guests also enjoyed a live music set from Grammy-award winners Soul II Soul.

Jo Elvin, CEO of Children with Cancer UK, said: “We’d like to thank Florence and all of the members of the children’s choir for giving such an inspiring performance at this year’s Children with Cancer UK Gala. It was an incredibly moving moment and a privilege to hear the stories of the young choir members and their families. Every pound raised from this year’s Gala will make an immediate impact for children and their families by helping to fund life-saving scientific research into childhood cancers and provide crucial ongoing support for young cancer patients and their loved ones.”