A cancer patient has raised over £2,000 for a charity supporting fellow patients.
Liz Holmes, from Romsey, presented the cheque to PLANETS Cancer Charity chairman, Neil Pearce, at Romsey Conservative Club on November 20.
The money was raised through a series of events held throughout the year.
PLANETS helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, abdominal, and neuroendocrine cancer, by funding patient support groups, treatments, and research.
Liz, who was diagnosed in 2021, first learned about the charity through her cancer nurses at University Hospital Southampton.
Encouraged by the nurses, she attended a PLANETS conference, where she met Jo Green and Layla Stephen, directors of the charity, who are both also neuroendocrine cancer patients.
Her interest in fundraising grew from there.
Liz's efforts began with a coffee morning at Romsey Conservative Club, featuring a large raffle with donations from local businesses and individuals.
Her brother-in-law, Pete Holmes, then hosted a series of quizzes at Mottisfont Social Club, raising more than £500.
Liz and her husband, Rob, also organised twice-monthly bingo nights at Romsey Conservative Club.
These events included a raffle, with all proceeds going to PLANETS, while the club itself also donated monthly to the cause.
Ms Holmes said: "I remember feeling so supported and well-informed at the PLANETS conference. It was nice to find a community that understood what I was going through and could provide me and my family with more information. The support offered is invaluable and, after the event, I knew I wanted to help raise money for the charity.
"It’s been such a rewarding experience to organise these events and I’ve been blown away by the generosity of the local community."
PLANETS, which was founded in 2011, has raised more than £2 million to date.
The money has been used to fund patient support groups, introduce innovative treatments like intraoperative electron beam radiotherapy, and advance cancer research.
For more information on how to support PLANETS or get involved in future fundraising events, visit planetscharity.org.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here