Lighthouse Marketing, organisers of this year’s Lymington Seafood Festival are delighted to make two ‘charity’ announcements following this summers’ highly successful event. The Blue Marine Foundation has received a great boost of just over £3,500 towards its Solent Oyster Restoration project and the chosen charity for 2018 will be Sail 4 Cancer.
BLUE is working to raise £250,000 that over the next 2-3 years will see the native oyster return to the Solent. This will benefit the marine ecosystem as the humble oyster filters around 160 litres of water a day. It will also help support the local fishing, restaurant and tourism industries for many years to come. Commenting on the donation made by the Festival Executive Director Charles Clover said; “We are blown away by the £3,000 raised at the first Lymington Seafood Festival for our Solent Oyster Restoration Project. These vital funds will help us double the number of protected adult oysters that are seeding wild areas and improving the health of our Solent and those who live along it.”
The annual event held at Bath Road Park, featured 70 food, drink and retail stands is already in planning mode for August 11th and 12th next year. The organisers have been overwhelmed by the number of local food producers and eateries wanting to get involved, but the most important element to confirm was next years’ chosen charity – Sail 4 Cancer.
Sail 4 Cancer was set up in 2001 by a group of keen sailors who had all lost a close friend or relative to cancer. They provide water based respite days and holidays for families affected by cancer. It is also a charity close to the hearts of Festival organisers Domine and Richard Nowell who have lost a father and brother respectively to the disease.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Sail4Cancer and hope help raise much needed funds for such a fantastic charity.” Commented Domine Nowell. “Both our families have been affected by cancer and from the moment someone is diagnosed with cancer family life is taken over by hospital visits, treatments, tests, uncertainty, and often, financial worries.”
“For a day or a week, Sail 4 Cancer takes cancer patients and their families away from the disease and the nightmare that they are living through and offers them the chance to rebuild relationships, create positive memories and have some quality fun time together. They do this through sailing days and weekends, park breaks, riverboat adventures and resort holidays. We hope the charity will receive the support of everyone attending.” She concluded.
The charity also provides breaks for young carers and their families to give them a chance to experience some of the carefree joys of childhood before going back to their caring duties. Sail 4 Cancer also supports youngsters recovering from cancer by introducing them to sailing to regain their physical and mental confidence. Some of the youngsters who want to learn more about sailing are supported to earn their first sailing qualifications.
Sail 4 Cancer’s Fundraising Manager, Lizette van Niekerk responded by saying: “Sail 4 Cancer is honoured to be selected as the supported charity for the Lymington Seafood festival next year. The first event this year was very popular and we are looking forward to being part of an even bigger event next year.”
“All the funds raised will be used to provide respite breaks for families who have been affected by cancer. We currently have a very long waiting list and it would be a wonderful outcome of this partnership if we could give some of those families the breaks they need.”
For more information on both charities or to donate simply visit:
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