KEEPING her promise, Sheila Greenaway from Pyworthy has donated funding from the family’s recent Christmas lights display, which was this year held in memory of her late husband.

Anthony [Tony] Greenaway sadly passed away last year after battling stomach cancer.

The couple have supported a variety of charities over the 20 years they have been holding these festive light displays. During his fight with cancer, Tony attended the Seamoor Unit at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) and the family decided the proceeds from their annual display should go to the unit as a way of saying thank you.

Sheila had promised Tony that she would carry on their light switch-on tradition and chose to support the Cancer and Wellbeing Centre Appeal at NDDH.

The 2019 display raised an incredible £500 which the family presented to the appeal recently.

Fundraiser Julie Whitton said: “This is a fantastic donation, and we cannot thank Sheila enough for the effort she went through to put all the lights up with the help from Michael, Maxine and Wendy. We cannot wait for the centre to open.”

The appeal will fund a newly-built, state of the art information and support centre for people affected by cancer. This centre, with overnight accommodation, will be the first dedicated centre of its kind locally. This will be a significant step forward to meeting the rising demand for cancer services locally, and provide support from diagnosis to after care.

Cancer can affect every part of someone’s life, with many requiring financial, emotional and practical support as well as medical treatment. Whether they are the patient, are caring for someone or are simply worried about cancer, the centre will provide a place to come to find a wide range of services.

A spokesperson said: “We hope to provide complementary therapies, Reiki and reflexology, counselling, support groups and nutritional advice, all under one roof, and in a relaxing non-clinical environment. And, when it’s needed most, new overnight accommodation will be accessible to patients, their family and loved ones.”

To make this a reality, £1.5-million needs to be raised. The Greenaway’s donation has put the appeal one step closer to its goal of providing a new centre, at NDDH, that will mean no one going through cancer treatment in North Devon will have to do it alone.