After the success of last year’s event, Raffrey Farmer Dee Heron, an Action Cancer Skin Cancer Ambassador and a volunteer with the Moneyreagh & District Action Cancer Fundraising Group, held another ewe breeding lamb auction at the Saintfield Livestock Mart on Friday 22nd August.
The evening proved to be another runaway success raising an amazing £29,600 so far for Action Cancer, which will help fund its cancer support services including its skin cancer detection service.
Dee said: “We are absolutely thrilled and over the moon to have raised such an incredible amount for Action Cancer and its life-saving services! At the moment the total stands at £29,600 but we have a number of additional donations coming and we are confident that the total will exceed £30,000. Last year’s auction brought in over £18,000, which we were already so proud of, but to have surpassed that total this year, and by so much, is nothing short of amazing!
“The generosity and spirit of the farming community has been simply outstanding. We’ve been blown away by the support, from the incredible donations to the enthusiastic bidding on the day. Huge thanks go to the auctioneer and to Geoffrey Murphy, alongside the brilliant team at Saintfield Livestock Mart, and every single person who played a part in making this such a success. We could never have imagined raising such a phenomenal amount. We are so proud at what we’ve all achieved together!”
Dee knows first-hand how important Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service is. Having spent most of his life working outdoors, he is sharing his experience to help raise awareness. A long-standing volunteer with Action Cancer for 30 years, Dee organised the auction alongside his wife Valerie, son Gavin, grandson Harry (aged 13), and brother-in-law William Strain. Dee added:
“I am delighted that the money raised will go towards Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service. I know first-hand how important a service like this is to the farming community. I have worked outdoors all my life and when I was a young lad, making hay at 10 years old, it was shirts off running around the field thinking it was great! We didn’t have any sun cream on; there was no protection.
“I was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008 after a mole on my spine looked suspicious. Thankfully, it was caught early and I’m now cancer free. I would encourage anyone who works outdoors to protect themselves in the sun. Keep covered up and always wear sun cream. Earlier this year I attended the skin clinic at Action Cancer House in Belfast with a concern, and a basal cell carcinoma was detected on my face. Thankfully, I was able to have it removed, which highlights just how important this service is. If you have any moles, keep a close eye on them and, if there are any noticeable changes, contact Action Cancer.”
Northern Ireland has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the UK. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in Northern Ireland and melanoma, which is associated with moles, is the fifth.
Mark Irwin-Watson, Community Fundraising Executive for Action Cancer, said: “The Moneyreagh & District Group has been supporting Action Cancer since 1978, just three years after the charity was founded. Over the decades, their dedication has helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, an incredible achievement. We’re deeply grateful to Dee, Valerie and family and everyone involved in this hugely successful fundraising event. Action Cancer receives no regular government funding, so this kind of community support is absolutely vital in helping us continue to deliver our cancer prevention, detection and support services.”
Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service offers another pathway for people concerned about a new or changing skin lesion. Delivered by a highly qualified and experienced nursing specialist team, the service offers a two-stage process. Clients will first be assessed during a virtual appointment by a skin cancer specialist nurse. If a further assessment is needed, then a face-to-face appointment is offered on board an upcoming visit by the Big Bus (supported by SuperValu and Centra) which visits all five HSC Trust areas across Northern Ireland twice every four weeks, or at Action Cancer House in Belfast.
The Big Bus visits up to 175 locations throughout Northern Ireland each year including rural areas and areas of high deprivation where health inequalities are greatest. As well as the skin cancer detection service, breast cancer screening and health checks are also offered on board.
Action Cancer has been at the heart of cancer prevention, detection and support for people in Northern Ireland for the last 50 years. The services that Action Cancer provide are free to the user but come at a cost to the charity of £4 million every year. These services include an early detection breast screening clinic, therapeutic services for people living with a cancer diagnosis, as well as people supporting a loved one with a diagnosis and a range of health improvement services. These can be accessed from Action Cancer House in Belfast or from 14 regional locations and on board the Big Bus.