New Car Named In Fond Memory of Carol Ditchfield

Being in the role of Chair of our beloved ‘Berwick Cancer Cars’ comes with great responsibility, long hours and, I don’t mind admitting, on occasion, tears. All this though is tipped off the scales when you have an amazing team of dedicated hard working volunteers who continually give up their time week after week to help our fellow Berwickers and Northumbrians.

We are all going through tough times and our cars rely heavily on the generosity and support of local people, businesses and clients. We appreciate every single penny you help us raise to keep us on the road. Bearing in mind we receive no funding from any external source we are proud of the service we can provide and it’s all down to you, our supporters and our volunteer drivers, committee and trustees.

Sometimes a supporter goes beyond this and makes their support for us a passion. We invite you to help us remember a very dear friend who over the years has done this as a client, a friend and an amazing fundraiser, Carol Ditchfield.

Carol sadly lost her fight with Cancer last year but right up until the end she was raising money for our cars with her ‘West End Saturday Lockdown Bingo’. We are proud to have supported Carol through her journey and even more grateful to her for her drive and ability to give local people camaraderie and entertainment in her fundraising activites. Tweedmouth Bowling Club was a focal point and a big part of Carol’s life and many of her activities were centred around the club. From killer bowls and bingo to beer pong, she never missed an opportunity whilst having the knack of making people feel so special around her.

Carol should have celebrated her birthday on Christmas Day and it goes without saying the miss she is to her family, friends and us.

Today we collected our latest new car. Once we order our new cars we start thinking about the logistics of insurance, hospital parking registration and now Covid safe procedures and practicalities. The last thing before the car goes into service is to name it. The reason we give our cars a name is to make the allocation of journeys to drivers easier and less confusing as the fleet are all identical. So, today we took delivery of our latest Mitsubishi ASX and of course named her ‘Carol’ after our wonderful friend. She will take pride of place, sat alongside our other cars in our hopeful new home in Church Street later on this year.

Socially distancing, we invited Carol’s mum Maureen, her partner David (Wakey), her sister Lesley and husband Geoff and their children Jessica and Kate to come along and be the first people to see ‘Carol’ going for her first run. It was an honour to have them there whilst Guy Flannigan from Tweedmouth Service Station handed our new beauty over.

So Carol, over the years you raised nearly £9,000 pounds for us and as a small token to your memory, a thanks to all your family for their support and for you, because you were utterly amazing, we now have our very own ‘Carol’. The name Carol will be mentioned a lot more now and each time we shall think of you.

Please help us set Carol on her way with buckets full of love and I know she will safely deliver many, many people for their much needed treatments. Carol starts ‘active’ service this week.

Keep safe everyone.

Andrew