Express & Star

Charity just £6,000 away from £1m fundraising goal

A Wyre Forest charity is just £6,000 short of its pledge to raise £1 million for vital research into cancer.

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Big Afternoon Tea organiser Wyre Forest Cancer Research UK Fundraising Committeemember Vicky Chapman

And the district’s fundraising committee of Cancer Research UK is hoping its forthcoming Big Afternoon Tea at Chaddesley Corbett Village Hall, on Sunday March 10, will take it even closer to the target.

At the committee’s annual meeting, members heard £30,500 was collected in 2023, beating the previous year’s total by more than £2,000.

Treasurer David Smith said: “It was the aim of our founder Margaret Griffin to raise £1million. Sadly, after running the committee for more than 50 years, she died aged 91 in 2021 and we now carry the baton.”

The committee’s biggest earner last year was its annual fundraising lunch which topped £3,000 and its jazz night in Bewdley raised £1,200.

A psychic evening with medium Barbara Northall raised £1,700 and the annual Big Breakfast at Hartlebury Village Hall brought in more than £800.

Other donations included almost £800 from Anne-Marie Simms of Salon 4 Hairdressers and more than £500 from a collection at the Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill Climb.

Students from The Bewdley School donated £1,000 from their Race for Life, Nicola Tomlinson’s 60 mile run challenge raised £2,200 and a retirement collection for Richard Rose amounted to £1,000.

Committee chairman Peter Tomlinson, who raised almost £1,000 personally for the charity, said: “We are so grateful to all those who supported us last year and are thrilled to be on target to smash our £1million goal.”

The committee is hoping for a bumper Big Afternoon Tea, from 3pm until 5pm, with sandwiches, cakes, cream scones, tea/coffee and a glass of Prosecco.

Tickets, priced £15, are available online via Eventbrite or by calling 07879 558772.

Anyone wishing to support the committee with fundraising events should contact Mr Smith on 07772 502757. More information can be found on Wyre Forest CRUK’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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