SINCE Trevor Tucker moved to St Anne’s Close, Whitstone, 30 years ago he has been raising money for various charities ever since.

In his first year of residency he started by holding a coffee morning for the Robert Johns Leukaemia Fund and managed to raise £200 for the charity.

He enjoyed the event so much he decided to hold another coffee morning the next year, once again raising £200 for leukaemia.

Trevor then went on to run a 10 mile sponsored run; hold a disco at Hedley Wood Caravan Park, as well as serving cream teas alongside a plant sale at his home.

Four of Trevor’s birthdays have also been held at Hedley Wood, where instead of presents, he requested donations going to different charities, along with a very successful evening with Geoff Provis in St Anne’s Hall, Whitstone.

Trevor’s annual plant sales at his home and St Anne’s Hall have all been met with great success, each raising over £1,000 each year.

In his 30th year of fundraising, Trevor held a coffee morning and plant sale in St Anne’s Hall, raising over £400 for Little Harbour Children’s Hospice South West, and the leftover plants being sold in a car boot sale to raise the total to £621.

He then organised a dance at Bridgerule Parish hall with The Texans Dance band, which raised £500 for the charity, raising the total to £1,121 for the fund.

He said: “This year’s plant sale will be the last as a minor health problem has prevented me from doing so much, so with much sadness I will take it a bit easier.”

Trevor said, however, he has enjoyed every minute of his fund raising activities.

“It is very rewarding and satisfying to know you are helping someone worse off than yourself.”

He has kept all the thank you letters from the charities he has supported over the past 30 years, and added: “It’s nice to look back and know you’re not wasting your time”

Trevor’s overall total raised for charity over his three decades of fundraising has reached £30,375.50, shared out between 16 charities.

He extended thanks to everyone who helped and supported the fundraising in any way. “This grand total would not have been possible without your support.”

The following is a list of charities that have benefitted and the amount received: Children’s Hospice South West — £17,008; Cancer Research UK — £4,641.50; Epilepsy Action — £1,905; British Heart Foundation —£1,580; Breast Cancer —£1,000; Great Ormond St. Hospital — £675; Leukaemia Fund — £570; Macmillan Nurses — £510.50 RNIB — £495.50; Marie Curie —£332; Air Ambulance- £325; Multiple Sclerosis- £330; C.L.I.C — £170; British Red Cross —£120; Prostate Cancer- — £110.