The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Halloween mad man is to raise money for a charity that brings cancer care closer to home throughout Lincolnshire and is helping prolong the life of his uncle.
Jamie Knight is set to once again deck his Cathedral Drive front garden out with all kinds of spooky treats.
But this year’s fundraiser is particularly poignant for him as he’ll be raising money for a charity close to his family, Hope For Tomorrow.
It funds the lorries and trucks that take NHS cancer treatments to 41 locations around Lincolnshire.
One of those the service helps is Jamie’s uncle John Poulter who earlier this year was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, the primary source of which hasn’t been identified.
Every month Hope For Tomorrow brings the injections John (66) is given to Spalding to avoid him and other cancer patients having long trips to hospitals across Lincolnshire for treatment.
John’s wife and Jamie’s aunty Suzie Poulter of Surfleet said: “It’s not a well known charity, despite them having 13 vehicles that are able to bring the cancer treatments to different parts of county.
“John has injections while others have chemotherapy.
“The NHS fund the equipment but it’s Hope For Tomorrow that bring them closer to the patients.
“You don’t want patients having to travel long distances such as from Lincoln or Nottingham after their treatment.
“Hope For Tomorrow bring the treatments closer to you.
“It really is lovely and they’re absolutely brilliant.
“John says you see all the people in there for treatment including young couples.
“Then they have a bell there to ring when they get the all-clear and it’s such a lovely moment when you see them ring that bell.
“It’s great that Jamie is fundraising for Hope For Tomorrow.
“He’s always been mad about Halloween since he was a tiny toddler.”
After decorating his house regularly, two year’s ago Jamie raised £400 for Macmillan by going the extra mile and asking for donations from the around 100 people who came for a look around.
After last year’s enforced break this year’s display will be even bigger.
Jamie and wife Tracey are already putting the decorations up.
This year’s display on October 31 is set to include a host of attractions including a ‘spider tunnel’.
Tracey herself will be running a hoopla competition while Susie, Gillie Knight and Claire Hearth are running a tombola.
More than £100 has already been collected from the raffle being backed by Celia and Claire Hearth while the Spalding Ladies Circle and Gosberton Methodist Church are also helping out.
“I’ve loved Halloween my whole life and this will be the second time I’ve done it for charity,” Jamie said of his decorations. “Obviously last year we had to take a break, but hopefully this year we’ll raise even more money for a brilliant cause that’s helping people like my uncle right here in Spalding.”
