Clubbing together for the NCCCT
MERIT Royal Premium Hotel hosted the first North Cyprus Cancer Charity Trust coffee morning of the year on Tuesday and lent their support by donating a “magnificent” buffet.
The charity also won valuable support from golfers at the event as Moira Watson, outgoing lady captain at the Korineum Golf Club, presented a cheque for 3,350TL raised by club members during 2017.
New lady captain Julie Freeland has also selected the NCCCT as her charity choice for 2018, so all funds raised this year will be donated to the charity.
Ladies of The Lodge spokesman Margaret Keenan also stepped up to donate 1,000TL which had been raised from weekly bingo sessions.
Charity head Wendy Anderson said: “We are absolutely thrilled that both lady golfers have chosen our charity.”
She added: “Stallholders pay us a donation of 20TL which all goes to help along with the admission fee, [and] we thank the Merit Group for their generous spread.”
A total of 8,449TL was raised on the day, including the donations and income from stalls, admissions and a raffle.
Supporters paid entry of 10TL to the charity for coffee or tea and a wide selection of cakes, pastries and snacks, while five NCCCT stalls and 23 other stallholders offered everything from clothes to books, jewellery, home-made jams and pickles and even a reflexology session with Maxine Callaghan.
Dağlı Insurance and Creditwest Bank also came along to support the event.
The marathon effort was headed by NCCCT vice-chairman Lynda Cook, who set to the night before to ready tables for stallholders and was back bright and early at 7.15am to organise the setting up.
She said: “It is a lot of work but we all help out because it is so worthwhile.”
Mrs Anderson announced: “Of course, the main item on the agenda is our Heartbeat shop for which I am pleased to announce that we have found an English ‘Bob the Builder’ who has volunteered his skills and labour to help us, but wishes to remain anonymous.”
One guest also handed over 200TL to help with the cost of paint for the premises.
The fundraising shop near Girne State Hospital requires the replacement of 30 roof tiles, work on a concrete flat roof over the kitchen and an interior make-over after volunteers were forced to launder their stock following a leak from recent heavy rainfall, close the shop and store goods in a back room.
Mrs Anderson said: “We are looking for strong volunteers to help eradicate mould with a bleach treatment and help with painting. Donations of paint, plasterboard and other materials would be most welcome.
“Heartbeat is our lifeline for fundraising and we hope to re-open as soon as possible.”
Offers of help may be made by phoning Mrs Anderson on 0533 868 6078.