£7,550 for Friends of the Cancer Centre

The money was raised at its 20th Anniversary Dinner, held recently in Templepatrick.

Ana Wilkinson, corporate fundraising manager, Friends of the Cancer Centre thanked SADP for its ‘fantastic’ donation.

“The charity was founded 35 years ago by volunteers. Based at Belfast City Hospital, we receive no government funding, and are solely reliant on donations from the local community. £7,500 is a huge amount of money, and on behalf of the charity I would like to thank the members of South Antrim Dairy Producers’ Group for their support and generosity.”

She added: “Around 1,000 people come through our doors on a daily basis, and all donations are used to support local patients and their families.

“Friends of the Cancer Centre provides funding for patient care and comfort during their time in hospital. We also fund 35 members of staff, which includes ten specialist cancer nurses; and provide funding for research into clinical trials for life-saving treatments.”

Presenting the cheque at the group’s AGM, outgoing chairman Alan Wallace thanked everyone who attended the recent anniversary dinner and supported the charity auction.

“This is a phenomenal amount of money, and I would like to thank the individuals, local businesses and agricultural companies who donated the various items for our auction and raffle. We are very grateful for their support.”