A special fundraising event will take place in Peasedown St John this Friday, 29th September, to raise much-needed money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
As part of the annual Macmillan fundraising event, one of the village’s B&NES councillors has decided to open her home for the afternoon to offer tea, coffee and cake for the worthy cause.
Cllr Karen Walker (Independent) was elected to the local authority in May 2015, and has been active in community life for the past decade. She’s currently the Vice Chair of the Council.
Karen, who grew up in Peasedown, lost both her parents to cancer so knows firsthand what impact the disease can have on those that have it, and on their friends and family too.
Cllr Walker said: “Raising awareness of life changing illnesses such as cancer is something I care passionately about.
“Over 350,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year, all of whom have a personal story to tell. Most of them will need care, which is why supporting organisations like Macmillan is paramount, especially when they strive to ensure that independence and personal dignity are retained when looking after someone with cancer.”
Karen’s parents lived in Frederick Avenue, Peasedown St John, for many years before passing away. Her mother Joan died in 2000, and her father Lloyd three years later in 2003. Lloyd was an active member of Peasedown Methodist Church and has a bench dedicated to him on church grounds for his voluntary work.
Karen added: “The number of people living with cancer in the UK is increasing by 3.2% every year, with a staggering 2.5 million people now currently living with the illness.
“The positive news though is the number of cancer survivors in the UK is projected to increase by approximately one million per decade from 2010 to 2040; resulting in four million living with cancer by 2030.
“By 2020, almost one in two people (47%) will get cancer at some point in their lives or have died from it – which means events like those coordinated by Macmillan are even more important for us to attend and support. Cancer affects all of us at some point in our lives.”
Macmillan Cancer Support’s September coffee events are all about asking people across the UK – and sometimes further afield – to invite people around for coffee where donations on the day are made to Macmillan.
In 2016, 250,000 people took part and raised a record breaking £29.5 million.
This year they want to raise even more money to help change the lives of people affected by cancer.
Cllr Karen Walker’s Open House Coffee Afternoon for Macmillan will take place at 34 Church Road, Peasedown St John, BA2 8AF, on Friday 29th September from 3pm – 5pm. All are welcome to attend.
