Delight at £16,000 cheque for charity

The charity to benefit was Aplastic Anaemia Trust which was formed in 1999 from two organisations - The Marrow Environment Fund and the Aplastic Anaemia Support Group. A cheque for the amount was given to Anna Martin, Executive Director of The Aplastic Anaemia Trust at The Scenic last Monday. Trevor, more popularly known as ‘Beagley’ and Kate Munnis, who organised the night, got involved after their five-year-old nephew, Adam McNeilly, was diagnosed with the disorder. Both decided to fund-raise for the Trust and the support they got humbled them. ‘Beagley’ told the Times: “We really were shocked at how many turned up. We would like to thank everyone whose generous donations made all this possible and we would especially like to thank Shirley McKinlay from The Scenic for all she did. She organised the marquee, staffed it and provided food and entertainment and we couldn’t have asked for better.” The funds were further boosted when ‘Beagley’ and Kate also did a parachute jump earlier in the day which raised a substantial amount. But it was the Scenic Inn event which yielded the most. Some 400 people attended and Trevor admits he was humbled by the generosity shown. He said: “To say we were chuffed would be an understatement. No one was under any pressure to support us, but they did and sometimes that makes you sit back and admire what people do.” “It’s fantastic. We were touched by the plight of Adam who had to be kept away from other people because of the risk of infection. Thankfully, he’s coming on and his condition has been regulated. We just hope it will stay that way.” Both ‘Beagley’ and Kate know that the work of the Aplastic Anaemia Trust has made a great difference to many lives. They have helped raise its profile in this area and are delighted to have helped Adam’s parents, Andrew and Ruth (formerly Hanna from Corkey). Already, much has been done in the care and management of aplastic anaemia and eight out of ten will be restored to a good quality of life.