Fabulous fundraisers

Wednesday 19 November 2008

OVERDUE congratulations to Janine Al-Kazaz and Spencer Barton-Hope of Liverpool’s Bibby Line who completed the Great North Run for the charity Leukaemia Research UK last month.

It was the second race for the pair, who completed it this time in 2 hours and 2 hours 5 minutes respectively, raising £700 ($1,050) between them which will be match funded pound for pound by Bibby as part of its Giving Something Back community programme.

Mercy Ships has a ball

MERCY Ships, the international charity that provides free medical and humanitarian services in the world’s poorest countries, is to hold a ball at the Landmark Hotel to mark the end of its 30th anniversary year on January 31, 2009.

The charity has provided life-saving surgery to thousands of people since 1978, alleviating suffering and also helping to keep communities intact.

Professor Lord McColl of Dulwich CBE of the Mercy Ships UK board of trustees said the celebration will mark a significant point in the organisation’s history.

“The ball allows us to honour a wide range of people, from the volunteers, who give up their lives to help those in need; to the fundraisers who work hard to get the word out about Mercy Ships; to our sponsors and those that donate big and small. Without all these people, Mercy Ships would cease to exist.”

Mercy Ships UK executive director Judy Polkinhorn promises “an evening to remember. There will be a fabulous three course dinner, an auction with some fabulous prizes, as well as live music.”

Those interested in attending the event, or becoming a sponsor or donor, please visit http://www.mercyships.org.uk or call Ellen Armstrong on 01438 727800.

Mark Butler

BRISTOL Port Co has paid tribute to Mark Butler, chief of the Port of Bristol Police, who died on November 11 after a tough battle with leukaemia.

Inspector Butler joined the port’s police force in 1999 after serving 18 years with the RAF Police. He quickly progressed from constable to sergeant and then to inspector.

“Mark was a popular, respected and admired member of the port community who will be enormously missed. Our thoughts and sympathy go to Mark’s family,” said a port spokesman.

“The Port Police have received numerous messages of condolence and appreciation of his many sterling qualities from friends and colleagues around the port, various police forces and government departments. These will, of course, be passed on to his wife and family.”

Done a runner

SMALL was perfect for an opportunist thief who took this Victorian oil painting, depicting a cargo vessel under sail off Harwich harbour, from the Bury St Edmunds premises of fine art auctioneers Bonhams.

The picture, measuring just over 8 in by 6 in, was stolen shortly before it was due to be put up for sale.

It was valued between £500-£600, but a similar, albeit larger, picture by the same artist, John Moore, was estimated to be worth £5,000-£7,000 and fetched £10,200. The recession has evidently had no effect on this market.

Moore (1820-1902) loved nothing better than painting ships in seas varying from choppy to very rough.

Bury St Edmunds once thrived as the genteel social centre of landed nobility and gentry. They ensured that it stayed virtually free of crime by hanging thieves and murderers.

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