Charity cash bonanza from Dumfries and Galloway Rotary Clubs

A magnificent £23,542 has been raised for two worthwhile causes by a pair of Dumfries and Galloway Rotary Clubs.

The Rotary Clubs of Dumfries Devorgilla and Dalbeattie worked in partnership to hold their successful first Am/Am Charity Golf Tournament at Southerness Championship links course earlier this year

And held a meeting at the Holiday Inn, Dumfries, on Thursday night to present the proceeds to Bruce Port, Macmillan Cancer Support relationship fundraising manager, and Mia Noquet, who is the community and volunteer fundraiser for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

READ MORE:Scots nurse’s death linked to weight-loss jab Mounjaro approved on NHS

READ MORE:'Braveheart' Colin Hendry finds love again with Edinburgh shop worker

They each were given £11,771 for the charities.

Both Dumfries Devorgilla president, Bob Carruthers. and Dalbeattie president, Stephen Howie, thanked the efforts of all involved in, or supported, the fundraising.

Thanks was also offered for the kind generosity of Southerness Golf Club who donated the golfing experience.

Its success has guaranteed a further golf day scheduled for next year.

Rotarians and friends, along with the winning golf team, enjoyed hearing from the pair about their charities work.

Andrew Clark of Dumfries Devorgilla Rotary Club said: “Bruce presented a true story of the one to one support that the amazing Macmillan nurses are able to provide to cancer patients. This follows a new initiative just launched in Dumfries and Galloway and throughout Scotland called ‘Improving the Cancer Journey’.

“It provides direct links with Macmillan and GPs to get an earlier involvement by the charity to support those diagnosed with cancer.”

Within the region alone there are 8,000 people currently living with cancer and 1,070 are diagnosed each year.

Andrew added: “Macmillan Cancer Support is well known however, 98 per cent of the money it receives comes entirely from voluntary donations. Bruce confirmed that the donation from our two clubs could cover one Macmillan nurse for two months; provide 250 Macmillan financial grants to people requiring cancer support; help 550 people over two days through the Macmillan Support Line or reach out to 30,000 people on the Macmillan online community service.”

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation was selected by Dalbeattie Rotary and its president recalled the support provided by Doddie Weir himself some 30 years ago for a Pro/Am competition locally.

He said the support “was not forgotten” and that the “legacy of a true trailblazer continues with the Foundation set up by him in 2017 following diagnosis of MND in 2016”.

Mia was able to explain the symptoms of the paralysing disease which there is no cure.

She said that life expectancy for most is only two years following diagnosis – and getting diagnosed can often be a long process.

She also explained that My Name’5 Doddie Foundation is committed to funding research to change the course of this disease, as Doddie himself wanted.

The charity, which now operates throughout the UK, has committed £18million for scientific research and Mia was able to confirm that scientists are “more positive now than ever before” to providing a real breakthrough in changing people’s lives diagnosed with the illness.

Ten per cent of funding raised by My Name’5 Doddie also goes to support direct to families and patients.