Children’s Cancer Research (NECCR)

CENTRAL DURHAM CREMATORIUM JOINT COMMITTEE

(Partnership of Durham County Council and Spennymoor Town Council)

PRESENTATION TO NORTH OF ENGLAND CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH (NECCR) 

CHAIR OF JOINT COMMITTEE: COUNCILLOR LIZ MADDISON

I would like to thank the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management for their partnership working with the Central Durham Crematorium Joint Committee that has allowed us today to present a cheque totalling £5000 to the NORTH OF ENGLAND CHILDREN’S CHARITY RESEARCH ORGANISATION as a result of facilitating the recycling of metals following Cremations at the Central Durham Crematorium.

The North of England Children’s Cancer Research Charity was formed in 1979 by a small group of parents whose lives had been changed forever by childhood cancer.  The charity has helped fund research that has established the North East as one of the World’s leaders in the research of childhood cancer.  To date the charity has raised over £30 million. The £5m Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre is located in Newcastle and is one of the leading children’s cancer research centres in Europe.  It is close to the Great North Children’s Hospital.  It brings together experts from Newcastle University and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to research this disease.  80% of children diagnosed with cancer now survive due to this research compared to only a 30% survival rate 30 years ago.

I am delighted as Chair of the Durham Joint Crematorium Committee  (a partnership of Durham County Council and Spennymoor Town Council} that we can contribute to research funds with this cheque for £5000.

This is the second cheque that I have been fortunate to present this year, with £5000 handed over to another small charity SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity). All of this money has been made possible through the goodwill of families of the bereaved who have signed up to the Crematorium’s recycle of metals scheme at what for them is a very difficult and sad time.

It is pleasing to say that we can provide funds for cancer research that will play a part in saving children’s lives.  I hope that this will be a comfort to all of our bereaved families and on behalf of the Joint Crematorium Committee and staff we thank them all.

The charity has said on its website that when a child has successfully completed their cancer treatment, they celebrate by ringing “an end of treatment bell”.  I hope that this bell will ring many times in the future to give each child a healthy and fulfilling life.

COUNCILLOR LIZ MADDISON

CHAIR

CENTRAL DURHAM JOINT CREMATORIUM COMMITTEE

23rd November 2017