PEMBROKE youngster Elly Neville, who is raising funds for Withybush’s Ward 10, has received unexpected support from New Zealand’s All Blacks.

Elly, the daughter of Lyn and Ann Neville of Pembroke, has been raising valuable funds towards the refurbishment and upgrade of Ward 10 cancer ward through her prize-winning collage of the Pembrokeshire Flag since May 1, 2015.

Elly, now a seven-year-old Year 3 pupil at Pembroke Dock Community School, decided that she wanted to start raising money to help the ward that treated her father. Lyn had a bone marrow transplant in 2005 and subsequently spent a lot of time on the Ward 10 cancer facility at Withybush Hospital.

From initial hopes to raise just £50, and raise the profile of cancer services for in-patients at Withybush Hospital, the amount raised by Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal has been truly staggering, with more than £127,000 raised to date.

The appeal has been sent a New Zealand All Blacks rugby shirt from the 2014 MyRepublic All Blacks end of year northern tour (when they beat England 24 - 21, Wales 34 - 16, Scotland 24 - 16 and the USA 74 - 6).

It has 34 signatures of players and more of management and reads like a who's who of All Blacks rugby, with names like the great Dan Carter, Beauden Barrett, Kieran Read, Israel Dagg, Richie McCaw, Steve Hanson and many more.

Elly's dad Lyn said: "We must say a huge thank you to all at the New Zealand Rugby Union for their amazing kindness and support.

“It is very rare that the New Zealand Rugby Union donate to charities outside of New Zealand but they said that, Elly's Appeal was ‘extraordinary and exceptional and she was to be commended for her outstanding achievements to date’.”

Elly and her family are continuing to seek donations via their Just Giving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/Ward10Flag