A WHITEHAVEN dancer heading to a world-famous ballet school has received a helping hand.

Sophie-Leigh Sill, a pupil with the Karen Starkey School of Dance, has been accepted to the Royal Ballet School and has received £1,500 towards her fees from the Freemasons.

The group is supporting Sophie-Leigh as Karen’s school has been based in its hall on Duke Street, Whitehaven, for 23 years.

Maurice Tunstall, past-master of the Lowther Craft Lodge, said: “It’s a great honour for Sophie-Leigh and we wanted to give her a helping hand. Without Karen’s support, we would struggle to keep this building going. We supported Lewis Charlton [a previous Starkey graduate to the Royal Ballet School] and are happy to do so again.”

The donation includes £500 from the Provincial Master Masons of Cumberland and Westmorland, £700 from the Lewis Craft Lodge and £300 from the Lowther Craft Lodge.