The Mayor of Erewash for the last civic year, Councillor Val Custance, has presented over £5,000 to her chosen charities, the proceeds of fundraising events during her year in office.
Councillor Custance, who was Mayor for the 2015/16 year, presented cheques to representatives from CLIC Sargent, the cancer charity that helps children and young people and the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
Fundraising events during her civic year included a Ghostly Gathering at Long Eaton Town Hall, a Charity Golf Day and the Mayor’s official charity Civic Dinner.
Councillor Val Custance was delighted to be able to present the cheques to the two charities:
“It is with enormous pride that I served as the Mayor of Erewash and I am so pleased to have been able to support these charities, which are all very close to my heart. I applaud and thank them for the incredibly important work they do. My heartfelt thanks also go out to all those people who so generously supported my events and enabled me to raise the money.”
Councillor Custance raised money for the two cancer charities in memory of Ilkeston schoolboy Alex Read who lived in her ward and sadly died from the disease. His family fundraise for the charities and Alex’s mum Shirley and sister, Eleanor were at the Mayor’s presentation.
Dee McKenna, the Bone Cancer Trust’s Community Fundraiser, says:
“I myself am a parent to a child who is in recovery from primary bone cancer so I’m only too aware of the utter devastation this disease causes a family. Primary bone cancer is a rare and brutal disease, and we’re working hard to raise awareness and improve the primary bone cancer journey for patients and their families.”
And Blaine Cooper-Jones, Clic Sargent’s Fundraising Manager for the East Midlands adds:
“It’s been fantastic working with the Mayor of Erewash throughout the year. We are so grateful for the support and the incredible amount that has been raised in memory of Alex.
It has been amazing to see the community of Erewash come together to remember him through events such as the civic dinner and charity golf day. ”
A total of £5,165 was raised by Councillor Custance and the cheques to the two cancer charities were presented on Wednesday 20 July in the Mayor’s Parlour at Ilkeston Town Hall.
As well as raising funds for her chosen charities, a ‘charity pot’ was also set up and a cheque will also be presented next week to the Canaan Trust, an independent homeless charity in Long Eaton.
Photograph:
From left to right:
Dee Mckenna, Community Fundraising Officer for Bone Cancer Research Trust
Glenys Walmsley, Past Mayoress
Councillor Val Custance, Past Mayor
Shirley Read, Alex’s mother
Eleanor Read, Alex’s sister
Nichola Doran, Regional Fundraising Manager for CLIC Sargent
