A coffee morning hosted by Friends of the Cancer Centre in memory of the late Neville Gamble was a roaring success at the weekend.

The coffee morning was hosted in memory of Jim Gamble’s son Neville who passed away in November 2019, it raised a total of £3,000.

Jim is well known as a prolific fundraiser for the charity over a long number of years.

Speaking to the Impartial Reporter, Jim acknowledged that the day in memory of his son, “was tough but great to see”.

Humble about his fundraising efforts which has helped change lives across Northern Ireland, Jim said: “I often thought I hadn’t done enough but I did do as much as I could.”

Jim who is living with a cancer diagnosis himself was pleased with the turnout and was grateful for all of the support given to him by his family and friends over the years.

He added: “I am grateful for everyone’s support and everyone who has supported the charity and all of the functions over the years.”

Alongside Avril Graham, Jim has been fundraising for cancer patients for over 40 years. They began fundraising independently in 1979 and have been involved with Friends of the Cancer Centre, formerly Friends of Montgomery House for 37 years.

Acknowledged

The pair were both acknowledged for their services to the charity back in 2017 when they received BEMs in the 2017 New Year’s Honours.

Additionally, both Jim and Avril were recognised by former Prime Minister, David Cameron with a special award, the Points of Light Award which recognises outstanding individual volunteers who are making a change in their community.

During the coffee morning held at Mullughdun Parish Hall, Geraldine Corrigan, chairperson of the Friends of the Cancer Centre Fermanagh branch and Friends of the Cancer Centre CEO Colleen Shaw spoke highly of Jim.

The presence of the charity CEO at the coffee morning in memory of Neville shows just how high in esteem, Jim is felt in the Belfast headquarters.

Colleen said: “I got to know Jim and Avril about 18 years ago whenever I took the charity from its old name, Friends of Montgomery House when we were based at Belvoir Park hospital and at that stage Northern Ireland had been waiting for about 20 years for a Cancer Centre.

Colleen said: “At Montgomery House, Avril and Jim were part of a team of people from Fermanagh who helped to buy an MRI scanner a long time ago, because at that stage cancer patients didn’t have an MRI scanner.”

She paid tribute to both Jim and Avril who had both served on the Board of Trustees for Friends of the Cancer Centre and were able to see how money raised for the charity was spent.

Colleen also added that the Friends of the Cancer Centre Fermanagh fundraising group were the “most profitable group in Northern Ireland”. Colleen continued: “We find it very difficult to keep new people joining our groups. But for some reason they [the Fermanagh group] seem to be able to bring more people in and it’s just fantastic.”

Since its foundation, the Fermanagh fundraising branch of Friends of the Cancer Centre has raised £870,000. Geraldine told the story of how Jim, her window cleaner at the time got her initially involved in the charity and also recalled a story of Neville coming to her assistance during the Christmas Tree festival at Rossorry Parish Church.

Geraldine also thanked all of those at Mullughdun Church of Ireland who “did a wonderful job” organising the coffee morning. She added: “Mullughdun is very important to Jim, he is a man of great faith and both Jim and Doreen have asked to say a heartfelt thanks to everyone in Mullughdun especially to Heather Carson for doing such a wonderful job this morning.”

Geraldine concluded by saying: “On behalf of the fundraising group, I want to thank Jim for all that he has been and he continues to be to our group. If there were more Jim Gambles in the world, it would certainly be a better place.”