ARTY TEENS have raised hundreds of pounds in memory of their friend, who lost a battle with cancer seven years ago.

The group of 14 teenagers, who are in the final week of their month-long National Citizen Service scheme, raised £200 for Ruby’s Fat Cow Fund – set up following the death of Old Town girl Ruby Shakespeare.

The youngsters, almost all of whom are 16, spent two days painting a large mural of a cow.

"Fat Cow" is the logo of the charity fund, which has raised around £80,000 for the four charities that helped brain cancer girl Ruby: CALM, the Brain Tumour Charity, CLIC Sargent and Ronald McDonald House.

Ruby and her cousin used to make up fanciful stories about “Fat Cow”. The character was the natural choice for the fund established in Ruby’s memory.

Earlier today, the group carried their mural from the town centre to Old Town park Town Gardens, where Ruby used to play.

Chloe Caryiou-Davenport, 16, from Lawns, went to Lethbridge Primary School with Ruby and suggested raising money for Ruby’s Fat Cow Fund.

She said: “It was nice to do a charity that was Swindon based. I wasn’t close to her, but we were friends.”

The idea for the mural came from fellow NCS member Tia Jones. The 16-year-old from Covingham said: “The idea came from watching the news. There was one in Bristol, with people painting murals around the town centre.

“We wanted to do something that’s big and could show what the charity does.”

The mural was painted over two days outside the West Swindon Asda. “The hand painting was so much fun,” said Tia. The youngsters raised money by offering henna tattoos, hair braiding and arts and crafts.

Ruby’s mum, Annette Shakespeare, praised the teens’ efforts. “They have worked really, really hard. The great thing about it for us is that it’s true to the spirit of the Fat Cow Fund.

“It’s about raising awareness as well as raising money.”

Ruby died when she was just 10. Had she survived, she would have been receiving her GCSE results next week.

Mum Annette said: “There are always going to be milestones. I think we can steal ourselves for Christmases, birthdays, proms, GCSEs. We know that they’re coming up and we can prepare for them.

“But it’s the things that we haven’t prepared for that are harder.”

Annette mentioned that a friend of Ruby’s had taken a picture of the girl to prom earlier this summer. “It was lovely.”