A CELEBRATORY buffet was held last week to mark a grand total of £1million being raised by the Redditch and District Committee of Macmillan Cancer Support.
It makes Redditch one of only 16 committees nationwide to hit the million milestone.
The event, at The Nevill Arms, was to salute the tireless efforts of the team for raising such an incredible sum through 28 years of dedicated hard work.
This included holding regular supermarket collections, concerts, coffee mornings and bi-annual supporters’ lunches.
More recently, the committee has worked with Biggefest Festival organisers Sandra and Clive Fokes of Courtyard Music, who for the past three years have raised nearly £20,000 in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
For many years, until its closure in 2015, the committee also had a very successful charity shop run entirely by volunteers, raising around £20,000 a year for Macmillan.
From retirement until her death in 2016, the committee was led by Ida Parkinson, the first ever Macmillan Nurse in Worcestershire and Ida’s daughter Wendy Thompson joined the committee in 2017, to carry on that legacy.
Philip Roberts, chair of the Redditch and District Committee, said: “Everyone on the committee wants people living with cancer to have a less difficult journey as a result of the funds we have raised, and continue to raise.”
Regional fundraising manager Sarah Diston said: “The money the Redditch and District Committee has raised is outstanding.
“We have 400 fundraising committees nationwide and Redditch is one of only 16 to reach the million milestone and only one of 25 in the history of Macmillan which makes this incredible achievement even more special.
“‘Thank you’ does not come close to expressing the incredible appreciation we feel.’”
If you are interested in fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support to help them to continue supporting people living with cancer in Worcestershire, please contact Sarah Diston on 07791 369 364.
