People facing cancer in Barrow and Furness are set to benefit from funds raised through a special gin tasting event.
Rachel Minshull, CancerCare’s Barrow and Furness Development Officer, organised the Gin Tasting Evening at Barrow Golf Club on Saturday, October 13.
A total of £925.50 was raised through ticket sales and a raffle.
Rachel, who organised the event in her own time, said: “I like gin and couldn’t think of a better way to raise money than drinking gin!
“Luckily lots of other people agreed with me.”
More than 100 people went along to sample a wide selection of gins from around the world.
Simon Dutton, bar manager at the golf club, had various gins on offer including six varieties from The Lakes Distillery for the special price of £3.99 including a Fever Tree tonic.
Rachel said the funds raised at the event will be used to pay for therapy services for people coping with cancer in Barrow, Ulverston and surrounding areas.
She explained: “The money raised will enable local people affected by cancer and other life shortening conditions to continue to access our free services.
“CancerCare receives most of its money from fundraising. When people help to raise funds with an event like this, it allows our services to continue.”
Rachel said there was a good atmosphere at the event: “It was relaxed yet bubbly. There was a lot of noise from the chatter.
“There was mixture of people who attended. The mayor and mayoress of Barrow came along and brought with them their daughters and their partners.
“A few of our clients came along with their family or friends. A couple of the therapists from Barrow brought friends with them. Some people involved with the golf club came along as well as other local people who had seen the advert and wanted to help out.
“I would like to thank Bill and Judith McEwan (the mayor and mayoress) for coming along, our Barrow and Furness Fundraiser Emma Athersmith for her hard work on the night, Gracie Minshull and Molly McCracken for taking tickets on the night and keeping control of the door and Beryl Gaitskell, the lottery canvasser for spending time working on the evening.
“I’d also like to thank Simon Dutton and his staff at the Golf Club for their hard work on the night, Craig and Louise Sherrington for donating raffle prizes and Asda, Coniston Slate and The Lakes Distillery for raffle prizes.”
Rachel added that as the event had been such a success, she’ll be doing it again in the future.
