Sidmouth Living With Cancer seeks sponsorship to keep mini-bus on the road

SPONSORS are being sought to help keep a Sidmouth cancer charity’s life-saving mini-bus on the road during 2012.

Sidmouth Living With Cancer Support Group needs �500 a month to keep the mini-bus it bought through generous donations by the local community and businesses, on the road.

Ambulance men at Honiton raised the first �500 by growing moustaches in November and Sidmouth Golf Club members and captain Dave Hoare have sponsored a second month.

Now SLWC’s executive chairman, Bill Lankester hopes individuals, organisations and local businesses will get behind his appeal for ponsorship to enable the mini-bus to continue its vital transport service to help those in need in the community.

The mini-bus has been used 120 times, including twice on Christmas Day when a sick person was taken to relatives to spend time with them.

It was also used to take people to the Christmas Day community lunch at St Teresa’s Hall.

“We know a lot of people are struggling, but if we could find 10 people a month who can donate �50, or people who could give �10 a month, it would be brilliant,” said Bill, who founded the group with wife Evelyn and others 10 years ago.

“The mini-bus is used for our members and for taking people who are terminally ill on outings.

“We want to take people out so they can enjoy life as much as possible with cancer and don’t want them to feel they have to put money in, although members do make donations.”

He said 23 other groups in the community used the mini-bus and hoped organisations and businesses could support the appeal by stumping up a month’s sponsorship towards the �6,000 running and maintenance costs.

The Sidmouth Herald, which backed SWLC’s mini-bus appeal through its Campaign 2010, will publicise who has sponsored the mini-bus each month.

“Sidmouth Running Club will be doing its Beat the Bus run for us, so they will sponsor one month,” said Bill, who said anyone willing to become a sponsor should contact him by telephone (01395) 577221, e-mail: jklfilm@aol.com or write to Sidmouth Living With Cancer Support Group, 10 Summerfield, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 9RY.