Kelsall Fundraiser Recognised for Four Decades of Support to Cancer Research
Kelsall’s annual Charity Gala has been recognised with an award from North West Cancer Research to commend 40 years of fundraising for the charity’s research projects.
The event, which each year crowns the village’s May Queen, was presented with the Large-Scale Event Award at the charity’s 70th Anniversary Ceremony after raising more than £12,000 for local cancer research.
As well as working with local schools to find the year’s May Queen, organisers of the event also work with the local community to put on football tournaments, stalls selling crafts, plants and vintage products. Recent years have also seen organisers work with Active Cheshire to put on a range of family races.
Having been started as a garden sale in 1978 by local resident Lillian Lightfoot after she lost her husband to cancer, it has been continued since her death by her daughter Angela Harrop and the Kelsall Committee for North West Cancer Research. Just this year’s event alone raised more than £3,000.
Angela said: “This year celebrated the 40th year of the Charity Gala, it is now a tradition for the whole Kelsall community. The event gets bigger and better every year with support from the local community growing.
“I’m so proud of the fact we have been able to continue with my mum’s legacy and of course raise so much for this worthwhile charity.”
The Award was given to the committee at a Gala dinner at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Stanley Park by Mark Blundell, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside.
The North West Cancer Research 70th Anniversary Gala Dinner honoured the efforts of the charity’s life-long fundraisers and researchers, who together have helped the organisation become one of the leading independent cancer research charities in the region.
In the last 18 years the charity has supported £39 million worth of research across the North West, supporting ground-breaking projects at University of Liverpool, Lancaster University and Bangor University.
Special guests included Lord Mostyn, the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside, as well as Roger Phillips who hosted the evening’s awards.
Alastair Richards, CEO of North West Cancer Research, said: “On behalf of everyone at North West Cancer Research, I would like thank all of our fundraisers, researchers, corporate supporters and donors, whose continued efforts have guided us over the last 70 years.
“The awards allowed us to reflect on their collective achievements so far. As well as looking back, it also gives us a chance to look forward to the future. We are currently funding 50 research projects and our network of fundraisers is growing every day, helping us continue to fund innovative life-saving research here in the North West.”