Coffee morning boosts Seahouses charity

The Bamburgh Castle Inn at Seahouses was the venue for a crucial fundraising coffee morning last weekend, as the Seahouses and District Cancer Support Group hosted their previously annual event for the first time in three years.

In what is the organisation’s 50^th year, 2023 is the first time since the Covid 19 pandemic that the local community have been able to gather at the inn on the harbour front in support of the group.

Raising funds through admission tickets, well stocked cake, books and bric-a-brac stalls, a grand raffle and tombola further boosted the fundraising efforts with more than £2,200 raised over the course of three hours.

As well as playing host, The Bamburgh Castle Inn team also provided guests with their teas and coffees, as well as the essential accompaniments needed to fully enjoy the delicious scones generously supplied by Trotters Family Bakers.

With strong attendance across the morning which ran from 10am to 1pm, it was a welcome site for general manager Richard Miller to see much of the local community come out in support.

He said: “After such a long lay-off since the last coffee morning it was great to see so many people come down to the inn and support what really is a vital group in our community.

“They do some incredible work around the district and support people at probably one of the most stressful times they will have to face and they have been doing that through a team of volunteers for 50 years.

“The Bamburgh Castle Inn has a long history of supporting the group by hosting the coffee morning and providing some of the refreshments enjoyed by attendees and I’m delighted that this year’s event was so popular and raised so much money for the charity.”

First established in the 1970’s, Seahouses & District Cancer Research & Relief Fund provides lifeline support to residents across a region that ranges from Lowick to Embleton.

Primarily using its funds to assist patients unable to organise their own transport for hospital treatments, the charity also donates to hospices and cancer research and treatment centres throughout the county.

Operated entirely by volunteers, needs of support are coordinated through GPs in the region to ensure that patients get the help that they need.

Seahouses & District Cancer Research & Relief Fund chair Joan Turnbull added. “It was lovely to be back at the inn for our coffee morning for the first time since Covid and to see so many people come along.

“Richard and the team have been superb as always and we are very grateful to them and Trotters for their generous supplies in support of the coffee morning.

“We really do rely on our community to keep providing our support to people in the area and I’m delighted that we raised the amount we did at the weekend.”