Two young people’s cancer charities have benefitted from a total of £10,130.86 raised by Keswick Rugby Club through a fundraising rugby and a post-match dinner and auction, and the annual event held in the clubhouse on new year’s day.
The Teenage Cancer Trust and The Tiny Lives Trust, based at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, have received donations £6,838.93 and £3,291.93 respectively last week.
The charities were chosen to support Keswick players Josh Dare, for the Tiny Lives Trust, and the Teenage Cancer Trust for James Addyman, who tragically lost his long-running battle with cancer in November last year aged just 23.
Josh’s baby son Isaac and his partner Michelle Fell spent many weeks in the neonatal unit at Newcastle’s RVI after she gave birth just 25 weeks into her pregnancy in May. Sadly, Isaac’s twin brother Noah died.
Former Keswick School pupil James, who lived with his parents at Asby, was an inspiration as he continued playing rugby despite having had his right arm amputated at the shoulder because of cancer.
The game and after-match dinner and auction, the brainchild of the club’s coach Frank Hewitt-Smith, was held in August and raised more than £6,500 which was split equally between the charities.
Each season the club designates a charity to support and the Teenage Cancer Trust was chosen to receive a share of the proceeds of the 2020 traditional new year’s day game and post-match gathering with Penrith Rugby Club players and supporters.
Between the raffle, with a main prize of two tickets for the England v Wales Six National international at Twickenham worth more than £200, and the auction of an England shirt donated by Rugby World Cup finalist Anthony Watson, the total raised was £5,200.
The Teenage Cancer Trust received £3,400, while the remaining £1,800 was donated to the Parishes for Peace charity, which supports Iraqi Christian refugees who are marooned in Amman, Jordan until they can be found more permanent homes.
Keswick Rugby Club chairman Trevor Keough said: “We have every reason to be proud of our efforts this year in raising funds for such worthy causes. After a very difficult year both on the pitch and more importantly off it, losing good friends before their time, we can look upon this instance of people coming together in the common good as an example of social action that will stand us in good stead in the coming months and years when we may need more of it. We will continue to do our best to help nominated charities and remain an active part of the wider Keswick community.“
