Sidmouth Living With Cancer group benefits from golf club captain’s charity

SIDMOUTH golf captain Dave Hoare has presented �3,751 to Sidmouth Living With Cancer Support Group.

Dave chose the Sidmouth charity as Captain’s Charity for 2011 and his family and members of Sidmouth Golf Club, dug deep in their pockets during the year to raise the amount, which was handed over at the club’s Christmas draw night to Bill and Evelyn Lankester, who founded the group 10 years ago.

Originally the group started with 20 members and this number has grown to 96.

In their distinctive bright yellow tops, SWLC members have attended numerous meetings and social events, including 24 holiday trips, some using their mini bus which was bought in 2010 after the Sidmouth Herald helped the group raise �52,000 through its first annual community campaign.

Bill thanked Dave and the golf club for their generosity and said �500 of the money raised by the club would sponsor the minibus for a month. The rest will be put into the club’s general account, to help towards the �10,000 needed to run the group.

Bill, now SWLC’s executive chairman, said: “We need about �10,000 a year to run the group because of the things we give away.”

This includes paying for cancer sufferers’ X-rays or special medical tests and treatments, including treatment in Switzerland.

“Our welfare fund paid out �3,500 last year, and we supply and maintain wheelchairs and need to keep a reserve topped up,” said Bill.

“We know our reserve can go quickly. If it prolongs people’s lives or helps towards giving treatment to help people live then it will be spent without question.”