Coun John Taylor
Conservative group leader
LAST weekend I had the difficult but pleasurable task of judging Little Pink Borough along with two of my fellow Councillors.
This year the task seemed to be more difficult than ever as many of our local shops and businesses really embraced the event, joined in the fundraising and designed some incredible displays too.
Little Pink Borough is the brain child of two inspirational people, Kath and Andy O’donnell’s whose achievements have been nothing short of
phenomenal and they have quietly raised over £200,000 for cancer research.
Their fundraising activities date back to 2004 when Andy was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer and following successful treatment, he wanted to give something back and raise much needed money for cancer research.
Andy is a keen golfer and so he organised a charity golf day that was held in 2006 and raised a very respectable £2,000.
Little did he know at that time how he was just
at the beginning of his fundraising journey.
The event was repeated the following year and soon after Andy found himself delivering a talk at the Roy Castle foundation in Liverpool.
Their next event Doggie Dash around Hollingworth Lake was inspired by their beloved Yorkshire Terrier “Oscar” and his love of “Walkies”.
All the dogs involved were easily identifiable from their neckerchiefs and the “3 Amigos” Fundraising group was born.
It was an instant hit
and led to Cancer Research creating “Woof Walkies” to replicate their success.
Not content with one or two fundraisers Kath and Andy have created, developed and delivered no less than six completely independent fundraising initiatives.
They created Little Pink Borough some eight years ago with the aim of awareness raising and fundraising for all cancers and the annual event certainly caught the imagination of the whole village.
It is now indelibly
marked into every shop’s calendar and the village is awash with colourful displays, carefully thought-out messages and of course fundraising initiatives. So successful is Little Pink Borough that it has spread to Milnrow and Newhey too
and who knows where it will crop up next.
I want to say a huge thank you to both Kath and Andy for all that they have done and continue to do to aid and support others at their time of need – a truly remarkable couple.