We love our jobs at the Sussex Cancer Fund, we are so lucky to have the opportunity to meet and work with so many lovely people, whether they are patients, the hospital staff, or our supporters. So when I got the chance to meet SCF supporter legends, Pearl & Ray Luxford, I jumped at the chance.
Pearl and Ray have been supporting the Sussex Cancer Fund, with help from Pearl’s brother, Jimbob, for more than 15 years. Both Pearl and Ray
have been treated for cancer in the past and wanted to help the units that had helped them and so have dedicated much of their retirement to raising funds for us. Their charity work keeps them very busy but hard work isn’t new for them with Ray being a commercial fisherman in his former working life as well as a champion wrestler as a young man.
My visit did not disappoint, COVID rules meant we could only meet in their garden, but what a treat! I think they put just as much effort into their garden as they do for supporting the Sussex Cancer Fund. We chatted about how they raise money for SCF by running a little charity stall at various markets around the county. They have even enlisted Father Christmas’s help and arrange for him to visit neighbourhood families, although this year it was only virtual messages from Father Christmas. They also have a huge bottle for collecting loose change, which surprisingly soon adds up!
We can’t thank Pearl and Ray (and Jimbob) enough for their support and fundraising, it means so much to us and we are very grateful for the money they have raised which is just short of £9k at the moment.
Edit: We are very sad to report that Ray passed away in June 2022, he will be very missed by the SCF Team.
