Annual Sporting Dinner 2010
Friends of the Beatson raise vital funds for the ongoing work at the Centre
Last night, Thursday, 22 April, Friends of the Beatson held their 15th annual sporting dinner to help raise essential funds for their ongoing work within the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and successfully raised £58,800.
The charity, which was set up in 1995 by two former patients, Ian Dickson and Alan Kilpatrick, launched the Friends of the Beatson Centre in September 2007, which was designed to make the lives of patients more tolerable when in hospital having cancer treatment.
At last night's Dinner, once again hosted by the BBC's Brian Donald and sponsored by Barclays Corporate, the speakers were Willie Young, the former football referee and lawyer, George McNeill the former sprinter and Sean Fitzpatrick, the former All Blacks captain. The top table guests included former Scottish and British Lions captain, Gavin Hastings.
Since the charity was formed 15 years ago, it has raised £1,750,000 which has gone towards numerous Beatson projects, with the largest project to-date being the Friends of the Beatson Centre.
The Centre costs around £250,000 a year to run and maintain, but the benefits to patients are priceless. Ian Dickson, chairman of Friends of the Beatson said:
"We are delighted by the generosity of all those who attended and supported this year's Dinner. We are hugely grateful to them."
"All the money raised will go directly to the running of the Friends of the Beatson Centre."
"Our Centre - which costs around £250,000 each year to run - receives over 150 patient visits each week and we know from them that it makes an enormous difference to their lives and wellbeing."
"All that we do is funded through fundraising events and charitable donations and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our many supporters for their generosity."