Teesdale cancer fundraisers bring home £65,000 in bid to find a cure

FUNDRAISERS across Teesdale and further afield raised £65,000 to help fund research in the North East to find a cure for cancer.
The money was raised at more than 50 events in the past 12 months, from a darts competition at the High Force Hotel to Barnard Castle pensioner Eileen Watson’s 80th birthday parachute jump.
Activities ranged from small scale donations from the likes of Startforth Keep Fit group and Stainton Ladies, to major events, such as the Butler and Gee summer ball, at Lartington Hall.
At this year’s Christmas Fair, held in Cotherstone Village Hall, the cheque was accepted by Phil and Claire Elstob on behalf of Cancer Research UK.
Mr Elstob, a scientist by training, is a senior business development executive for the charity, while his wife is a post doctoral researcher who works in leukaemia research at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at newcastle University.
Mr Elstob said: “I have worked with Cancer Research UK for more than 15 years.
“I no longer work in a laboratory – I help Cancer Research UK scientists set up their collaborations with other labs.
“Our researchers work with the best across the world and I help put this in place.”
With the retirement of Herbie Newell, professor of cancer therapeutics at Newcastle University, as the Teesdale branch’s named scientist, the money raised will go to support the drugs discovery unit based at Newcastle University, led by Prof Steve Wedge.
“This fundraising will help us deliver our mission – to beat cancer soon,” said Mr Elstob. He paid tribute to the Teesdale fundraisers.
“Pretty much everybody you talk to has been touched by cancer at some stage. It’s something that affects a lot of us at some stage,” he said.
Teesdale branch secretary Pam Ashmore said support for Cancer Research UK locally remained “brilliant”.
“We are delighted with the continued support again this year.” This year’s total was £9,000 up on 2015. New fundraising activities included the Barney Jam music festival in September.
Sadly, some £17,741 of the money raised came in legacies in memory of those who died from cancer.