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Davy ‘cheques-in’ for charities

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Davy Boyle, Caring Caretaker presents a £8,000 cheque to the Northern Ireland Children to Lapland Trust’s, Sally Pollock, Jack Rodgers, chairman, Lynne Rodgers, Jimmy Calvin and Alex Todd.

THERE were smiles all round last week as Coleraine's Caring Caretaker, aka Davy Boyle MBE, handed out cheques to his chosen charities at the Lodge Hotel.
A total 11 charities received donations, including NI Chest Heart and Stroke, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Zest, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Age Concern, Children with Autism, NI Children to Lapland Trust, the Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF) and the Parkinson's Disease Society.
Davy, who carries out his annual fundraising during his own personal holiday time, extended his thanks to everyone who had assisted him in his efforts, including Rev Robert McMullan and his wife Teresa.
“I would like to thank Ivor Boyd and the staff of the Lodge Hotel for supplying a lovely supper and a general thanks to everybody who helped me," he said. "The grand total raised since 2002 now stands at £346,999.25."
CHS and the NI Children to Lapland Trust both received donations of £8,000, whilst Autism NI, the Parkinson's Disease Society and UCF were each given £7,000.
Raymond Pollock from the NI Children's to Lapland Trust said: "That's really amazing. What can you say to somebody that gives you £8,000? It's absolutely fantastic, really very much appreciated. This year, they're going to try and take up either two planes or an airbus, which can seat about 240 children."
A total £5,000 was given to the Motor Neurone Disease Association and Age NI, whilst the Cystic Fibrosis Trust received £3,000, Zest received £2,000 and the Callum's Chance for Sight charity £1,000.
Zest is a charity which offers individual counselling, a listening ear, individual or group support to people who self-harm or are suicidal. Meanwhile, Callum's Chance for Sight has been set up to help two-year old Callum travel to China for specialised medical treatment. Coleraine's Pavestone Centre, a vocational and leisure rehabilitative centre for people with health problems and disabilities, also received a cheque for £1,000 from the Caring Caretaker.
Rhoda Baxter from the Centre said: "This money will help people in their progression back to work and it will provide certain additional equipment and also things like Christmas gifts and rewards to say thank you to people for their work. We're so grateful to be considered this year. Friends of Pavestone really supports the Pavestone Centre. It's very appropriate for people at this time because we're trying to encourage people to develop the potential to live really active lives."
Meanwhile, Regional Fundraising Manager from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, Linda Alexander, said their money would go into their general therapy trials and would also support local families in the area.
Chairperson of the Coleraine branch of UCF, Clare Johnson, said the money they had received would be used to support local people with cancer.
“Davy's money, an amazing £7,000, will go into care, research and education and we at UCF rely on people like Davy and his kindness," she said. "95% of our money raised comes from the general public."
Davy's chosen charities for 2012 include Callum's Chance for Sight, CHS, UCF, NI Children to Lapland Trust, Defibrillators at the Heart of Every Game, Community Rescue Service (CRS), Spina Bifida, Friends of Willowbrook and The Blin

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