A VOLUNTEER who lost her husband to Blood Cancer has been raising money ever since to help beat the disease.
After a break in August Wonston Community Café returned on Wednesday, September 21 in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The monthly café raised £230 from sales of drinks and homemade cakes for the lifeboat charity. Additionally, RNLI fundraising volunteers raised £412 from selling goods and Christmas cards to café visitors.
READ MORE: Winchester Bereavement Support join Wonston Community Café for a charitable coffee morning
The next community café on October 19 will be dedicated to supporting Blood Cancer UK. Since one volunteer lost her husband to acute myeloid leukaemia, a type of blood cancer, eight years ago the community café has rallied together to raise money for Blood Cancer UK each year.
As well dedicating the next community café to Blood Cancer UK, volunteer Barbara Harvey runs a Halloween fundraiser with the Norton Park aqua ladies group. For the aqua class on Friday, October 28, members will come ready for the water in Halloween headgear.
Barbara said: “While I started my charity fund raising after losing my husband Glyn to leukaemia, every year I have others in mind too, as we sadly lost dear Mary one of our aqua ladies to a very rare blood cancer two years ago.
“This year two others I know are currently receiving chemotherapy for other forms of blood cancers. Also people who come to support our cafe have over the years told me about their own connections too. So the stats by the charity of one in 19, being diagnosed with blood cancer, sometimes feel all too real.
“Blood cancer affects people of all ages, so it is vital to continue to fund the research that will, someday soon, beat blood cancer for everyone.”
Wonston’s next community café will be in Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney from 9.30am until midday on Wednesday, October 19 with all proceeds going towards Blood Cancer UK.
Wonston Community Cafe chooses a different charity to raise money for each month. The cafe on November 16 will be for Canine Partners while December 21 will be for Myeloma UK.
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