DUKE's PRAISE

The charity of which Irene Chenery & Carol Maher are joint chair, Ribble Valley & White Rose Ladies, were delighted to receive a letter of heartwarming praise from Kensington Palace following the Duke of Gloucester’s attendance at their fundraising event earlier this year.

The Duke’s letter highlighted the luncheon at Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton as an ‘excellent occasion which was marked by its refreshingly relaxed atmosphere and genuine sense of fun.  Clearly a large number of people worked very hard indeed both in view and behind the scenes.’

Sponsored by Skipton Building Society and Silver Cross, the event raised more than four thousand pounds for research into children’s cancer, bringing the charity’s total fundraising effort to £520, 000. A cheque for £35,000 was passed over to Cancer Research UK which acknowledged the Ribble Valley & White Ladies “huge financial contribution and immeasurable role in delivering Cancer Research UK’s vital cancer information messages to your local community.”

Encouragingly, research is producing positive results with the ten-year cancer survival rate almost doubling in the last 30 years, while cancer survival rates for teenagers and young adults has increased to 74%.  All the funds raised by the Ribble Valley & White Rose Ladies goes to research specifically into childhood leaukaemia, so this event focused on the celebration of the drive and resilience of youth with many youngsters introduced to the Duke.  Among them were 13-year old Child of Achievement Lauren Richmond from Barnoldswick who has recovered from leukaemia, 12-year old Joanne Oldfield whose mother (former RV&WRL committee member Angela Oldfield), sadly lost her battle with cancer last year and 17-year old Sam Cannings who lost his brother eight years ago.

Despite the name, the Ribble Valley & White Rose Ladies welcome gentleman supporters and non-members to their regular luncheon and dinner events which feature a range of inspiring speakers.  For details on how to support their work contact Karen Weaving on 01756 700100.