Cornwall pub The Driftwood Spars has donated a years’ worth of cash raised at charity events and through of beer sales to a breast cancer centre.
Driftwood Spars landlady Louise Treseder
The Mermaid Centre Fund — part of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro — will help buy vital equipment, train staff, and achieve more lifesaving early diagnoses.
The Mermaid Centre is a purpose-built diagnostic facility which is home to the Cornwall Breast Screening Programme and the Oncoplastic Breast Unit. Thousands of men and women are diagnosed and treated there every year.
“Every year we choose a charity partner, raising funds for causes close to our hearts with a varied programme of fun,
community events hosted in the pub,” said landlady Louise Treseder.
Paul Sowden, aka Bomber, at the Mermaid Centre
Sadly we’ve had quite few customers — both male and female — diagnosed with breast cancer recently. All have been
treated by the Mermaid Centre. It’s really important to us that these facilities remain in Cornwall and continue to offer such an excellent and supportive service.”
The donation was handed over in person by Driftwood regular Paul Sowden, nicknamed Bomber, who was himself treated by The Mermaid Centre recently. He said: “It was an absolute honour to deliver the funds raised by my fabulous local to The Mermaid Centre today.
“Both have done excellent work supporting me in my diagnosis and recovery, The Mermaid Centre providing the highest quality care, and Lou and all my friends at The Drifty helping me keep my chin up through it all.
“We’re lucky to have such a community-focused pub in the village, which goes out of its way to help people and support local good causes.”
Amy Aucott, interim community fundraiser for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity, said: “The significant funds raised by Lou and her team will go towards providing new equipment, enhancing the environment of the unit itself, and providing additional specialist training for our staff, all so we can provide the very best care that we possibly can for our patients.”
The next recipients of the pub’s generosity will be Man Down and Georgia‘s Voice, two charities which support men and women battling depression and poor mental health in Cornwall.
