Mission Firefly: Doncaster couple to host final open garden day for our appeal

Tony and Ann Beckwith have opened the gates to their home in Thorpe-in-Balne for the past 13 years, supporting Doncaster charity Firefly Cancer Support, which helps organise travel for cancer patients to hopsitals across the region.

Due to health issues, this year’s event will be the last one – but the pair are hoping it will boost funds for our Doncaster Free Press campaign to raise a whopping £25,000 to buy a new vehicle for Firefly.

The pair said: “We have opened our garden for the past 13 years for charity, the first being held for Fenwick Institute with 60 people attending.

"For the last 11 years, Firefly Cancer Support has been our chosen charity.

“This year, due to health issues and great regret we have decided to hold our last one.

“Over the years we have met some wonderful people who have given up their time to help with this event whom this wouldn't have been posible to do. The kind generosity of the local public never ceases to amaze us.

“Last year over £4,000 was raised and each year more and more people travel to support us. Over 200 made the trip in the rain last year and a lot of people visit each year.

“This year will be sad for us both, however, having acheived what we have, we're happy.

The event will be on Sunday 23 June 2024, gate opens at 1pm till 5 at the couple’s home, Shawfields.

There will be a homemade cake stall, raffles and tombola and a plant stall.

Entrance fee is £4 which includes a slice of cake and unlimited tea and coffee.

What is Mission Firefly?

Our fantastic fundraising campaign to raise £25,000 for Doncaster cancer charity Firefly has already hit a massive milestone.

Your Doncaster Free Press is counting on you, our readers, to dig deep and support the organisation which provides vital transport for cancer patients across Doncaster and beyond with our Mission Firefly campaign.

And that’s exactly what you have done – with a staggering £7,500 being raised in the first few weeks.

Founded in 2006 by the late Denise Dunn following her own cancer battle, the Firefly Express provides FREE transport to local cancer patients and their families across the city to regional treatment centres using a team of volunteer drivers.

But delivering such a vital service doesn’t come cheap – and that’ why we are calling on you, our readers, to back our fantastic fundraising campaign.

And we want you to tell us all about what you are doing to raise funds too!

We want to raise a whopping £25,000 so Firefly can purchase a new, second hand vehicle to add or a replace a vehicle in its fleet and keep its much-needed and essential service running.

Drivers work hard – and the vehicles work even harder, clocking up thousands of miles each year, zipping patients and their families across the region for treatment.

The project, now in the hands of Denise’s partner Ian Bacchus and friend Paul Taylor following her death in 2014, is determined to keep its fleet of vehicles running – and our campaign aims to boost their service even more.

Ian, known as Chewy, said: “The Firefly Express vehicles provide free transport to local cancer patients and their families in the borough of Doncaster to regional treatment hospitals, using our fantastic team of volunteer drivers.

"We currently have a fleet of 12 vehicles to cope with the ever-increasing requirements.

"Firefly help local people in their time of need, making a difficult time a little easier.

“Firefly is about life – living it to the full, and enjoying every second of it.

"We want to remove the stigma and embarrassment of personal cancer problems in young men and women, giving them the confidence to communicate with friends, family and health professionals should the occasion arise.”

He added: “Using our personal experiences, we are determined to change the journey for cancer patients while raising awareness, particularly amongst young people, to spot the signs before it advances.”

We want to raise enough cash so Firefly can purchase a new or replacement seven seat vehicle to keep the trips up and running, with the vehicle fleet doing as much as 6,000 miles a week.

A huge team of 70 volunteer drivers can carry as many as 80 patients a day – and a dedicated maintenance team make sure the vehicles are kept in tip top shape. Trips from Doncaster head to treatment centres in Sheffield such as Weston Park, The Royal Hallamshire and Northern General – with drivers whisking patients from their doors straight to the hospital, before returning them home afterwards.

For more information about Firefly and all the great work they do, visit https://www.firefly-support.co.uk/

All you have to do is scan in the QR code in this story to make your donation and get the ball rolling on our campaign to buy a new vehicle for Firefly.

So get scanning, get donating and do your bit to help support our campaign and a fantastic Doncaster charity.

And if you are organising a fundraising event, please contact our campaign reporter Darren Burke via [email protected] and we’ll give you a shout out to your fundraising efforts.