Bedford Castle Rotary's cancelled Celebrity Lunch raises £16,100 for Keech Hospice

Bedford Castle Rotary Club's Celebrity Lunch with Roy Walker raised over £16,000 for Keech Hospice Care - despite being cancelled.

The fundraiser was supposed to take place on March 20, but with the country about to go into lockdown the event was cancelled. Over 300 people had booked tickets for the lunch and many decided to donate the ticket cost, rather than take a refund.

Donations were also received from people who had not purchased tickets and Bedford Castle Rotary Club managed to raise £16,100 for the hospice in Luton.

President Mike Salsbury said: “To raise such an incredible amount of money for an event that didn’t take place is just incredible and I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of our members, ticket holders and sponsors for their donations.

"The Pandemic has hit hospices hard, and so I am delighted that we were able to present a cheque to Keech Hospice Care during these difficult times.”

Keech Hospice Care provides care specifically for terminally ill children in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, but also focuses on older terminally ill patients in Luton and South Bedfordshire.

Charles Codrington Chairman of fundraising for the club, thanked his committee for all their efforts, especially Chris Kilroy and the team at Old Road Securities.