St Paul's bells toll for children lost to cancer

The bell ringing is accompanied by a sculpture of 253 butterflies on Millennium Bridge

The bells of London's St Paul's Cathedral have rung in memory of children who have lost their lives to cancer.

Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity's (GOSH Charity) has also installed a sculpture consisting of 253 colourful butterflies on Millennium Bridge, to represent 250 child lives lost to cancer every year.

The tribute is part of the charity's appeal to build a £300m world-leading children's cancer centre.

St Paul's largest clock bell, Great Tom, will ring from 08:30 BST on Tuesday until midday.

Ringing a bell is often a celebratory tradition for cancer patients to mark the end of their treatment, offering a symbol of hope.

GOSH Charity said by ringing the bells at St Paul's it aimed to give a "bell ring moment" to families and parents of children who never got to celebrate the end of their cancer treatment.

Gabi Field, Deputy Director of Public Fundraising for GOSH Charity, said: "The end of treatment bell is a powerful symbol of hope for many children and families.

"Yet, for too many, that moment never comes. By ringing the bells of St Paul's throughout the morning, we are honouring the children lost to cancer each year, ensuring they are not forgotten."

Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world's leading children's hospitals

The funds raised from the campaign will contribute to GOSH Charity's Build it. Beat it. Appeal.

It aims to raise £300m to build a new children's cancer centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital in central London.

The centre is set to open in 2028, featuring a specialised chemotherapy pharmacy, a new hospital school and a roof garden to enable patients to go outside even when they are unable to leave hospital.

Currently, cancer treatment at the hospital is spread across multiple older buildings, with some of the most seriously ill patients undergoing chemotherapy in a 1930s-era building.

Great Ormond Street Hospital's new children's cancer centre will include a roof garden, to enable patients to go outside

This bell traditionally tolls to mark the death of statespeople, including for Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Reverend Philip Banks, canon precentor at St Paul's Cathedral, said: "Great Tom has tolled to mark numerous significant moments in our nation's history, so we are deeply honoured that bereaved families will chime bells in the North West Tower in memory of their children.

"We pray that this will provide these families with an opportunity to reflect and to remember, and that there will be a future when every child facing a cancer diagnosis can have the chance to ring their own end of treatment bell."

The bell ringing will also mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, held every September.

According to Cancer Research UK, cancer is the leading cause of death in children aged one to 14 in the UK, with about 250 children dying of cancer each year.