CHARITY fundraisers, formed following the sudden death of a local serviceman 20 years ago, have continued to provide support across the community in the intervening period.

The Children’s Hopes and Dreams (CHAD) group, based at Witton Gilbert Social Club, near Durham, constantly gather funds to help a variety of worthy causes.

Draws, raffles and two charity concert nights each year help to provide an ongoing source of support for a wide range of recipients.

The latest donation was made by group members Joe McQuiggan, Jean Rodham, and husband and wife John and Julie Nixon, this weekend.

They paid a visit to the Treetops children’s ward, at the University Hospital of North Durham, in Durham, to hand over two heart monitors, complete with two boxes of sensor pads, as well as a pair of computer tablets for use by young patients in the ward.

It was not the first time the ward has benefited from the efforts of CHAD, the group that keeps on giving.

Mr McQuiggan said: “We’ve been going for 20 years since a local lad, Michael Stephenson, who was in the Royal Marines, died from a heart embolism, at the age of only 23.

“We organised a memorial football tournament for local teams in his memory and we kept that going, but then we continued to raise money for different causes.

“We’ve supported everything from Help for Heroes, local play groups, the children’s ward, and we’ve just been in to the local primary school to hand over £6,000 to use for whatever they choose.”

Mr McQuiggan said the fund raising will continue, as he staged his usual weekly Sunday night football card at the club on Sunday night.