Generous Les, 80, celebrates with gifts
�600 presented to EACH left to right Hayley Milburn (joint manger), Les Strudwick (who wanted money to donate to EACH for 80th birthday) and Gemma Merritt (joint manager) www.lynnnews.co.uk/buyaphoto
A VOLUNTEER whose birthday donations in lieu of presents raised £600 for a children’s charity reckons he’s the one who should be thankful.
Les Strudwick of Downham, invited friends and family to give donations to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) at his 80th birthday celebrations at Timbers in December and was hoping the figure might reach £300.
“It was a great night with my friends and family and to know we have doubled that to £600 is absolutely incredible because EACH is charity close to my heart,” he said.
Les’s wife Joan, who had Alzheimer’s Disease, died two years ago and the couple had always supported children’s charities.
“The previous year I could see she was getting weaker and when EACH set up a shop in Downham I saw it as a lifeline. I got in touch with them and offered to help.
“At first I drove round in my little yellow Suzuki van, collecting things people donated, and then helped in the back of the shop and eventually on the till, too,” said Les, who was chief engineer at Dornay Foods, Lynn, now Masterfoods, for 23 years.
During the birthday celebrations, Les was presented with a certificate by Gemma Merritt, shop manager, in gratitude for his work.
The charity supports families and care of children and young people with life-threatening conditions, across four East Anglian counties, offering a range of services including short break care, specialist play activities, music therapy, parent and sibling groups, care at the end of life and bereavement support for all family members.
Jessica Hiscocks, one of the charity’s Norfolk fundraisers said: “Les is one of the best volunteers we could hope for and when we heard he was fundraising for us we couldn’t believe he was doing yet more good for EACH.
“Since starting his volunteering with us four years ago, he has already helped to raise more than £500 from collection boxes and I know his work in the shop is invaluable.”
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Weather for King's Lynn
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
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