Honorary Fellowships - Events and Fundraising

Adrian has been a member of Thundersley & Hadleigh Committee for over 40 years, dedicating the last 34 of those to being Treasurer. He is a key figure at all committee events, diligently collecting, counting, and securing cash donations.  Despite this incredibly important task, Adrian will also be found getting stuck in where extra help is needed, whether that is packing down tables after a quiz or washing up mountains of crockery at an afternoon tea. A constant and unfailing member of this Committee for four decades, Adrian has been everything you could ask of an exemplary volunteer and Treasurer.

Anne has been part of the Herne Bay Committee for 30 years as their Secretary, and has been pivotal to the groups’ success by helping to organise many events and activities in that time. Well known in the community, she can often be found chatting to people about the work of the charity and the events the committee are planning. Whether she’s selling raffle tickets, helping at Race for Life, or organising the annual quiz, Anne is always smiling and shows real passion for the cause.  It’s safe to say, Herne Bay wouldn’t be the same without her!

As Chair of Relay For Life Jarrow, Ann leads and inspires her committee and her Tyne & Wear community in supporting CRUK - doing so for more than 15 years! She proudly sports her Relay for Life branded materials, speaking with every person she meets, encouraging them to engage with our cause. Ann is dedicated, passionate, determined and wholeheartedly committed to supporting our Relay for Life event, and has raised approaching £1,000,000 for CRUK. Ann is a star that shines bright across the community, propelling Cancer Research UK and Relay For Life Jarrow to the very centre of the local stage.

Anne has dedicated her time to raising money for research into cancer for 30 years, ensuring the organisation of fundraising events such as an annual Golf Day, and raising on average £20,000 a year.  She has developed long standing support in her community, leading to offers of sponsorship for the next year's event before this year’s had even taken place! The desire to attend her events and raise funds for CRUK in her local area is driven by Anne and her dedication. 

Saying that Annie is an extraordinary ambassador for CRUK does not even begin to articulate the magnitude and impact of her fundraising and dedication over the last 20 years. Annie’s fundraising has recently hit the £1million mark, through her well-established, annual, Ladies Tractor Road Run event, which sees ladies uniting in pink to ride a convoy of tractors through Suffolk and Norfolk. Annie selflessly organises the event’s logistics, recruits participants, produces promotional materials, and distributes all sponsorship packs herself. Widely known and celebrated in East Anglia, Annie is described as humble, tenacious, ambitious, and generous.

Arnold has served as a member of the Whitworth local committee for almost 50 years. Thanks to his drive and determination, the committee has pulled together to raise over £700,000. Arnold executes his fundraising to perfection and is responsible for several highly anticipated events each year. The annual highlight is the fantastic golf event at Lobden Golf Club and the ladies afternoon tea which sells out each year! Arnold is an exemplary pillar of the community and truly deserves this recognition from Cancer Research UK.

Eveline has been a committed fundraiser for Cancer Research UK in Lincolnshire for over 20 years. She works tirelessly, knitting Christmas and Easter novelties, crocheting blankets, bunting and gifts and makes use of her breathtakingly beautiful garden for much of the year, to grow plants to sell. Eveline donates every single penny of her hard work to fund lifesaving research. She is so determined to see future generations not be affected by cancer, and thanks to her dedication, she has now raised an incredible £100,000 singlehandedly.

Gary and Ann are committed Cancer Research UK champions and volunteers having been volunteering as Event Admin Managers for over 16 years. Every year they show amazing support to their local events in and around Bristol, continuing to arrive on site at the break of dawn and being a fountain of knowledge for our participants. Great advocates for the charity in the community, Gary and Ann will often recruit friends and family members to volunteer. Cancer Research UK is incredibly lucky to have such wonderful and committed support over the years, and it is a pleasure to work with them both – they’re true superheroes. 

George has volunteered at both Herne Bay and Margate Race for Life events every single year, for over 15 years. George arrives early morning, personalised hi-vis in hand, with a beaming smile on his face and a happy to help attitude. He shows a great level of support to all participants, ensuring they are having the best time and feel supported and safe. These two events wouldn’t be the same without George, and his reliability and consistency are wonderful attributes to have. He has a brilliantly positive impact on our events and is a wonderful addition to the Cancer Research UK event volunteer team.

Gill has supported Cancer Research UK as a vital member of the Scarborough Group of Friends for the last 28 years. Gill has gone above and beyond to support the group in a variety of roles. As they went through a period of change in 2018, Gill stepped up to the plate and took on the chairperson role to ensure the group’s community engagement and legacy could continue. Gill has helped to organise and deliver a variety of events such as Christmas Carol concerts and coffee mornings. Scarborough is lucky to have such a passionate member of the community.

Giovi joined the Gibraltar Friends of Cancer Research UK more than 27 years ago as the secretary for the committee, moving into the position of chair in 2018. During its 50-year history the Gibraltar Friends have raised £1.5m, just over £1m of that since 1996 when Giovi joined the committee. She is passionate about the cause and is known in Gibraltar as the face of Cancer Research UK, using her networks to raise awareness of cancer and ensure that each event is a huge success. Throughout all this time Giovi's support for Cancer Research UK has been stupendous.

Graham has been volunteering with the Cancer Research UK events team for 14 years, with his dedication and commitment seeing him support around 15 events across London and Surrey each year!  Whether it’s Race for Life, Shine night walk or a third-party sports event, such as the London Marathon, the team can rely on Graham as a safe pair of hands. With an understanding of the impact of our events on the local community, Graham is our eyes and ears on the day and often spots improvements that can be made for the future.  His expertise and understanding of our events portfolio is invaluable!

Guy first volunteered at Cambridge Race for Life in 2010, and now approaching his 15th year, is more committed and dedicated to supporting the charity than ever. Cambridge Race for Life is a city centre event, which brings with it many complexities, that Guy confidently and diligently manages each year. Working brilliantly with the Event Assistants and volunteer team, he is always on hand to help, with his signature can-do attitude. Guy is so invaluable to the Events team, who are so grateful for all his support, and couldn’t imagine Cambridge Race for Life without him.

Cancer Research UK’s work is made possible by the longstanding dedication and passion of our supporters and there are few who encompass these qualities like Heather. As a founding member of the Peak District Group of Friends, she enters her 47th year supporting Cancer Research UK and has been a key part of the group’s success in raising over £530,000. Heather can be seen at every committee meeting, bringing warmth and wisdom to aid the group in its regular activities, and inspiring and guiding her fellow volunteers to keep striving to new heights of success.

Jason and his family have been volunteering as Event hosts at Race for Life and Pretty Muddy events across the South West for over 10 years. In addition, Jason is the Chair of our Relay for Life in Plymouth and a truly committed volunteer for the charity.  Always the first one to offer a hand or share his knowledge or contacts, Jason wants to ensure our event participants have the best experience possible. He knows our Race for Life and Pretty Muddy events like the back of his hand and his passion, knowledge and famous pink suit are invaluable to the success of our events.

John has been a volunteer for the Crewe & Nantwich local committee for over 43 years. It’s impossible to put everything John has done into words, as he has perfectly delivered a variety of highly regarded events including the annual Christmas fayre, which has been an iconic occasion in the community calendar for over 20 years – last year raising £6,000! Thanks to John’s dedication, the committee has gone on to raise well over £1.7 million, which is just incredible! John is truly deserving of this award, thank you for all you do.

Judy started supporting Race for Life & Pretty Muddy in 2013, so has now been volunteering with us for over 10 years. Judy has taken personal responsibility to increase participant numbers and fundraise at our Hampshire Race for Life and Pretty Muddy events. She has had a huge impact on these events, and the time and passion she has put into promoting Race for Life events is immeasurable. There is no job that Judy hasn’t turned her hand to, she is consistently supportive, and we are so very lucky to have her.

Kevin and Heather are absolute diamonds, and their commitment to volunteering for the last 15 years is outstanding. They both attend multiple weekends a year for Race for Life, Pretty Muddy and Shine and fully champion Cancer Research UK and the work that we do. Kevin is instrumental with course set-up and Heather helps get the event site ready, ensuring it not only looks great but is safe too. Kevin and Heather are totally committed to the Cancer Research UK Events Team. Nothing is too much trouble for them, and they are a constant and familiar friendly face at our biggest fundraisers. 

Lesley has been a part of the Bacup Local Committee for 31 years, helping them to raise an astonishing £600,000 to date. During her time on the committee, Lesley has put in around 1,860 hours of support for the charity -  supporting events from Easter fayres to afternoon teas and store collections - and she isn’t stopping anytime soon. Lesley is well known throughout her local community, sharing the message of what Cancer Research UK does and, thanks to her dedication and commitment, we can continue to fund research that saves lives.

Maggie was a committed member of the Pendle Hill Fundraising Group from 2006, but when she moved to Nailsea and couldn’t find a local group to join, she decided, in the middle of a pandemic, to set up her own. Slow to start, as she didn’t have the local knowledge or contacts, Maggie decided that the only way forward was to talk to lots of people, have a presence at local events and hope that her passion would rub off. Nowhere FUNdraisers for CRUK is now fully established, bringing in much needed funds. And this is only the beginning!

Marie has been a member of the Woodborough Committee for 30 years. Thanks to her commitment and dedication, the group has raised a staggering £500,000 for Cancer Research UK, with their fundraising increasing dramatically in recent years from £20,000 to £50,000 per annum. Marie is always at the forefront of the fundraising activities including idea generation, planning, selling tickets, sourcing prizes and helping set up and dismantle their events. She never hesitates when something needs to be done. Marie is an integral part of the committee and is well respected by everyone.

Mal is the Chair of the local committee in Coventry and has been a loyal supporter of Cancer Research UK for 30 years.  Since its formation, the committee have raised the astonishing total of £2 million.  Passionate about research, Mal has been the sole volunteer on the committee for several years, following the retirement of previous members.  She has volunteered tirelessly and built long-lasting connections in the community and is well known for her fundraising efforts. Mal has enormous determination and motivation running through her veins and is a true ambassador for Cancer Research UK.

Monica joined the Woodborough Committee in 2006, and over the last 17 years has made a massive impact on the group’s fundraising, helping them reach their £500,000 milestone. During her three-year tenure as Chair, Monica supported the committee in raising over £49,000.  She actively recruits new members onto the committee and will invite family and friends to help at their events. She has been at the heart of almost everything the committee has achieved over the last 17 years. Monica is often described as truly inspirational. Her commitment has no limits and shows no signs of waning.

Philip and Karen have volunteered with Cancer Research UK for over 17 years. During this time, they have volunteered at a minimum of 10 events each year! The level of support they offer at events is tremendous and despite being retired, they are always among the first volunteers on site.  Philip is such a positive and caring character and whizzes around the site to set up before every event and then back marks the route, often walking around 15km in a day. Karen is happy to do any role and is a real team player. Recently she has taken on the responsibility of finish line host, taking to the mic to welcome back our runners. Together they are a dynamic duo!

Rhona has been happily volunteering as an Admin Manager for over 20 years at Plymouth Race for Life & Pretty Muddy events. The role requires a trustworthy, dedicated, calm and kind soul, and that is Rhona, together with her infectious personality and brilliant sense of humour. Rhona is our participants’ biggest cheerleader and will move mountains to ensure participants and supporters are well looked after at events. She really does spread the word and ensure Cancer Research UK has the support it needs locally. Cancer Research UK is incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful advocate in Rhona

Richard has been an active and key volunteer for over 13 years. Always first on site and last to leave, he shows incredible dedication and support, and this support creates a stress free and relaxing atmosphere. He fills key roles on the day and will support the event manager with any job required to make events successful. Richard also spends time promoting volunteering opportunities for Race for Life. He will say something positive about the charity to anyone he meets and is truly committed to the work that we do.

Val first joined Cancer Research UK as an Event Assistant 10 years ago and continues to support the charity in a multitude of ways.  As a lead event volunteer, she is always willing to get stuck into any task, from course set up, to admin, or volunteer management – she’s even been known to grab the mic and host the finish line – with her passion for the charity shining through.  Val is also a media volunteer for our Legacy Gifts In Wills campaign and fundraises for CRUK by hosting activities in her local community.  Whatever role she is doing, Val brings her warmth, positive energy, and passion with her. She is invaluable and we are so appreciative of all she has contributed over the years.

Wendy first volunteered at the Kings Lynn Race for Life in 2008 alongside her two daughters, having enjoyed the event as a participant for two years prior to that. Over the past 15 years, the support from Wendy and her family has grown every year and her enthusiasm and drive has engaged additional support from friends and family, significantly boosting volunteer numbers! Wendy is an absolute star, loyal, capable, and eager to do more each time. Her impact on the success of the event can’t be underestimated!