£3,000 boost for My WiSH Charity from bingo sessions

Fabulous fundraisers in Great Cornard have been boosting the coffers of the My WiSH Charity for the past seven years.

They raise money from their monthly bingo sessions at the village’s Stevenson Centre and the latest amount of £3,000 has resulted in an amazing total of £14,741.20 handed over to the hospital charity.

Husband-and-wife team “Panto” and Tracy Tatum run the sessions on the last Saturday of the month but it’s a huge family affair as they are helped by their daughter-in-law Tiff Tatum and daughter and son-in-law Joe and Samantha Neill.

Added to that they are supported by their treasurer Marilyn Gooby, Maria Illing and Angela Talbot and cake maker Sue Tyler.
The money is raised from the sessions along with tea and cakes adding to the funds.

Tracy, 58, said she started off the fundraising after being treated at the West Suffolk Hospital for breast cancer.

It started off with just a handful of people turning up at the Snooker Club, in Sudbury, before they moved to the rugby club in Cornard, then onto Old Wells School before settling down at the Stevenson Centre, with upwards of 40 people attending each session with some coming from as far away as Colchester.

It’s a real community evening with a raffle, people have snacks, drinks, cakes … and then get down to playing bingo.

Tracy said: “Everybody looks forward to it every month and the amount of people that come up to us and ask us when the next one is taking place is amazing.”

Money raised from the sessions is split equally between My WiSH, which supports the work of the West Suffolk Hospital, and running the bingo events.

The latest funds are earmarked for the cancer unit at the hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, to help provide a family counsellor.

There is already one in place for patients undergoing cancer treatment along with HOPE courses (an interactive cancer survivor’s support course), but family members also need support hence the requirement for the new position to help loved ones during the difficult period.

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager, said “The My WiSH Bingo Team are just amazing. They constantly support us, happily donating to whatever project we are working on. Their donations have made such a difference over the years and the bingo nights definitely make a difference to those that attend them. We can’t thank everyone enough”.

And Tracy and her team are now planning their next bingo session with takes place on Saturday, 30 September.

To keep up to date with their activities to the their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/My-Wish-Charity-Bingo-108036601605394

Written by Russell Cook for My Wish Charity.