Pint-sized businesses boost Daisy Appeal

A village micro-pub and other pint-sized businesses are helping the Daisy Appeal pursue its fundraising target as it works towards opening a UK-first Molecular Imaging Research Centre (MIRC).

Angie Tooke (left) and Claire Levy at the Centurion Arms in Brough

Regulars at the Centurion Arms in Brough are continuing their fundraising for the Daisy Appeal under new licensee Angie Tooke, who stepped into the role at the beginning of March.

James Thompson, who repairs mobile phones, iPads, laptops, Macbooks and more at Mend My iPhone in Southgate, Market Weighton, is raising money by inviting donations from customers for the small jobs which would not usually incur a charge.

Claire Levy, Fundraiser for the Daisy Appeal, said: “It shows that businesses across Hull and East Yorkshire can help to make a difference however large or small they are and we’re urging others to join in whether it’s with employee events, corporate golf days, community challenges or whatever.

“People have come up with some great online challenges during the pandemic  and we hope they will now take that innovative approach onto the streets and into the open spaces and social settings to support our work. We’ve got plenty of fundraising ideas and we’re eager to help!”

Angie Tooke has worked at the Centurion for nearly four years and is continuing to raise money for the Daisy Appeal as the pub’s charity of choice with quiz nights every four weeks and other ideas under consideration.

Angie said: “We didn’t know anything about the Daisy Appeal but one of the regulars told us all about it after he went to the Sound of Music concert which the charity organised Everingham Hall Chapel last year and we decided to support it.

“We resumed our quiz nights in November after lockdown and they’re getting busier as more people start coming in. With more pubs opening in Brough in recent years we’re getting groups of people including from CAMRA to come and explore the village.”

James used to carry out some jobs for customers free of charge if they were simple and quick and didn’t need parts but when he heard about the Daisy Appeal he decided to use his skills to support the charity.

He said: “After meeting Claire I thought it would be a good idea to get a Daisy Appeal collection box and encourage people to make a donation for the advice and jobs where I wouldn’t normally charge. The QR code on the side of the box is handy for people who don’t carry cash!”

Claire said: “This is an exciting time for the Daisy Appeal as we move ever closer to fitting out the new building and getting it up and running. We’re also getting closer to our fundraising target of £8.5m, and then we’ll be able to focus on covering the running costs.”

The Daisy Appeal was founded in 2000 and has since raised more than £20m to fund cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The latest project is a UK-first Molecular Imaging Research Centre (MIRC) at Castle Hill Hospital.

It is expected to become operational by the autumn and will complement the existing life-saving and life-changing facilities funded by the Daisy Appeal in tackling cancer, heart disease and dementia by offering quicker diagnosis, better treatment and improved quality of life for thousands of people every year.

To find out more about the Daisy Appeal please visit www.daisyappeal.org