Scarborough pigeon flying club donates £50,000 to charities
The money comes from the sale of the group's headquarters on Melrose Street
St Catherine's has got a nice 'coo' from the demise of a pigeon racing club in Scarborough.
The charity has received £30,000 from the sale of the 'Scarborough Flying Club' on Melrose Street.
The club has got smaller over the years and has now come to an end.
It was set up in the 1960s with the building being bought by the club in 1972 using money raised during a tote double.
The cheque was given to Saint Catherine's by member Ted Smith and original director Geoff Broadhead.
Geoff’s wife was looked after by the hospice and the family said the care was second to none and it meant such a lot to them.
The trustees wanted the proceeds to go to Saint Catherine's and are also donating £10,000 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and £10,000 to Prostate Cancer UK.
Geoff's daughter, Jo Moss, said:
"They used to have a truck that would arrive that would pick up all the pigeons, they'd all be loaded on, they would be taken to various places and let off to race. How you would identify the pigeons is that they would have little rings on their legs and each one was specific to the area that they would be racing from.
"I remember the corner cafe in Scarborough they used to have a pigeon show there where they'd bring amazing pigeons from all over that costed lots of pennies that we used to go and look at when we were kids.
"For us in Scarborough we're so lucky to have the facility of Saint Catherine's as most of our services are moving to York and other various places. Saint Catherine's is local and it almost touches every family. You don't realise how amazing the service is.
"My mum was in Saint Catherine's for a week and the care that she got was second to none. It was really important that the bulk of the money stayed local and where better to be able to support lots of families but Saint Catherine's.
"There is another pigeon club in Scarborough called the Premier Flying Club and they meet at the Newlands Pub which seems like a great meeting place, so a few of the old members from the Scarborough Flying Club have joined in with the Premier Flying Club now so it is still going."
Susan Stephenson, communications and marketing manager at Saint Catherine’s, said:
“We were just blown away by this incredibly generous donation and wish to thank the trustees and members of Scarborough Flying Club from the bottom of our hearts. This donation will make such a huge difference to so many patients, whether they are being looked after in the hospice or at home, ensuring they receive the specialist care they need, free of charge.”