Sportsmans’ Dinner is a huge success

A popular annual Sportsman Dinner has raised an incredible £17,180 for St Catherine’s Hospice over the past few years.

Supporter Frank Turley has donated a fantastic £3,450 from this year’s event, which was presented by former Arsenal and Leeds goalkeeper John Lukic and comedian Bill Woolland.

He said: “We used to hold the dinners as part of St Joseph’s Cricket Club, and when the team disbanded it seemed a shame to stop running the dinners as they were so popular. So we decided to start hosting them to raise funds for St Catherine’s, which we’ve been doing since 2015.”

The occasion was attended by 120 guests, and was sponsored by Urban Kitchens, Sleeve It Ltd, Loud and Clear Graphics, and Soccer Manager. Fantastic raffle and auction prizes by ESP Bathrooms, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, Preston North End, and Ashton and Lea Golf Club helped generate the funds for St Catherine’s.

Emma Jacovelli, head of community engagement at the Lostock Hall hospice, said: “I can’t thank Frank enough for his ongoing support of St Catherine’s – he’s raised such a sensational amount of funds for us over the years, and continues to organise highly successful and well attended Sportsman Dinners with incredible guest speakers and amazing raffle and auction prizes.

“Not only this, but his determined efforts help keep St Catherine’s in the hearts and minds of the people who attend and support his events, so we are incredibly grateful for everything he does for the hospice and the local families we help.

“St Catherine’s wouldn’t be able to continue providing palliative and end-of-life care at the hospice and in people’s own homes, without the wonderful support of people like Frank and all of the businesses who generously donated prizes – it’s thanks to their hard work and commitment that we can help people affected by life-shortening illnesses to have quality of life, to the end of life.

“I’d like to say a very big ‘thank you’ once again to Frank and everyone involved in the Sportsman Dinner for their wonderful support.”

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