Charity section:Layout 1
5/18/17
1:21 PM
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CHARITIES
Snooker supports sick children LOCAL charity Jessie May has received a donation of £40,000 from the snooker world championship title sponsor to mark 40 years of snooker at the Crucible, in Sheffield. Jessie May, which provides hospice at home care for terminally ill children in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, was chosen as World Snooker’s official charity partner for the 2016/17 season. At the start of the championship, Betfred pledged £200 for every century made during the 17-day event, to be rounded up to £40,000 if the total hit 80 centuries. When the target of 80 centuries was not reached, Betfred boss Fred Done rounded up the total anyway. He said: “The players may not have hit 80 centuries, but the snooker on the 40th anniversary of the Crucible has been magical and so that’s why I’ve decided to donate the £40,000 to Jessie May which does an amazing job and is a very worthy cause.” Julian Withers, head of fundraising at Jessie May, said: “The response to having been named charity partner of World Snooker has been phenomenal, I don’t think we ever imagined how big it would be!”
Charity supports RUH
Ken Doherty and Dennis Taylor present cheque to Julian Withers of Jessie May
Last year World Snooker chairman, Barry Hearn, visited Bristol to meet nurses and some of the children cared for by Jessie May. This year Barry will be hosting a special evening at Ashton Gate, along with snooker legend Steve Davis. Jessie May is currently caring for 129 terminally ill children in the area and a further 41 bereaved families.
Details: www.jessiemay.org.uk
A CHEQUE for £90,000 was handed over by the Mayor of Bath and patron of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group charity (BCUSG) Councillor Paul Crossley to Brian Stables chairman of The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. Last June Mary Berry unveiled the hospital’s £1.2 million PET-CT scanner, the first to be installed in the West Country, which was funded by BCUSG’s PET-CT scanner appeal. The charity was asked to raise a further £90,000 to fund much-needed additional equipment. Pictured (l to r) are Mike Coombs, treasurer, Tino Polledri, vice chairman, Councillor Paul Crossley, Brian Stables and John Carter, chief executive and chairman of BCUSG. In thanking the charity for its latest donation, Brian Stables said the charity, which was founded in 1985, continues to be run by volunteers and has so far raised just over £4,500,000, all of which has been spent on improving facilities for cancer patients attending the RUH.
SOUPer-troopers!
AN organisation which offers live music opportunities for young people with special needs was the main winner of the latest SOUP event in Wells where guests Holding their cheques are the presenters of the vote for the four charities: Michael Hay (Abbeyfield Wells), cause they consider the Jane Harwood (Count Me In), Mike Barnes most deserving (Parkinsons UK) and Margaret Hendy (Mothers Union). At the back are Johnny of cash support. Francis, master of ceremonies Paddy O’Hagan Count Me In, and Cathy Judge which runs Heartbeats – a safe place for the young people to express themselves, make friends and be creative – was awarded £300 at the event in the Seager Hall. Three other charities each received £100 at the event, organised by Wells Independents: Mothers Union, Abbeyfield Wells and Parkinsons UK. Pupils from Wells Blue School provide the soup lunch and there was live music by Cathy Judge and Johnny Francis. Part of the £600 raised for the charities came from the £5 door charge, with the rest coming from sponsors Bowley’s Garage, Protec, Pilgrim Financial Planning and Belleview House B&B. The next Wells SOUP will be at the same venue at 1pm on Saturday, July 8th.
MENDIP TIMES • JUNE 2017 • PAGE 55