More than 100 people brave the North Sea to support a three-year-old girl with her second cancer battle
The Dip for Delilah saw more than 100 people brave the sea in South Shields.
More than 100 people took part in the ‘Dip for Delilah’ at Littlehaven Beach, in South Shields, on Saturday, March 21, as they looked to support three-year-old Delilah Ansell through her second cancer battle.
Delilah was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) in July 2024 and following treatment at the Great North Children's Hospital, she rang the all-clear bell in August 2025.
However in February 2026, Delilah’s parents Rosanna and Brett were given the news that the cancer had returned in multiple areas, leading to the youngster requiring treatment immediately - including chemotherapy.
LCH is a rare, cancer-like disorder than impacts about one in 200,000 children - with around 50 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year.
The team at Westoe Village Kindergarten have been supporting Delilah and her family following her latest diagnosis and wanted to host the Dip for Delilah to raise money, support and awareness.
At the time of writing, the nursery has managed to raise more than £6,500 to help support the family through the difficult times that they are facing.
Lyndsey Hall, the nursery manager at Westoe Village Kindergarten, has expressed her surprise and delight at how many people turned up to the Dip for Delilah and the amount of money raised.
She said: “We were only expecting around 20 people to be taking part but it just went absolutely crazy and it was a fantastic turnout.
“It was amazing to see that many people come out to support Delilah, we had our nursery families, Wolf Competitions and Big Pink Dress come along on the day - as well as Star Bakers donating cookies and cakes for the children.
“We only had an initial target to raise £1,000 but it just went wild within the first 24 hours - that amount of money will help the family so much and it means a lot that we can support them as much as we can.
“They are so thankful of everyone who come out to raise awareness and for the generosity at the amount of money that has been raised.”
You can view Delilah’s fundraiser at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/delilahs-journey-256td.
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