April 19, 2016 11.15 am This story is over 95 months old

Lincoln cancer research charity receives prestigious civic award

Charity fundraisers were presented with the Lincoln Civic Award at a special annual ceremony in the Lincoln Guildhall on Monday, April 18. Cancer research charity Candles founders Pam Connock MBE and Dyllys Firth – who were accompanied by nine Candles Trustees and volunteers and Chairman Chris Illsley – were thrilled to receiving the striking silver…
(L-R) Candles co-founders Pam Connock MBE and Dyllys Firth receiving the Civic Award in 2016 from Lincoln Mayor Councillor Andy Kerry

Charity fundraisers were presented with the Lincoln Civic Award at a special annual ceremony in the Lincoln Guildhall on Monday, April 18.

Cancer research charity Candles founders Pam Connock MBE and Dyllys Firth – who were accompanied by nine Candles Trustees and volunteers and Chairman Chris Illsley – were thrilled to receiving the striking silver award from Lincoln’s Mayor Councillor Andrew Kerry.

Councillor Kerry congratulated the organisation on its achievements, as a homegrown charity which had made such an impact since starting life 15 years ago.

Candles continues to be supported by Lincolnshire people and now has its own shop in the city centre.

So far the charity has raised more than £1 million, which has supported the world-leading work done in Lincoln by Professor Oleg Eremin.

Professor Eremin has carried out extensive research into the use of immunotherapy treatments and how these can be applied to encourage an individual’s immune system to fight cancer, rather than using chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Pam Connock said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive Lincoln’s most prestigious award.

“We have now raised £1.2 million and we have patients undergoing trials at Kings College and Guys Hospitals in London. Lincolnshire patients will be invited to take part in these.”

Both Pam and Dyllys are breast cancer survivors, although Dyllys was diagnosed 15 months before Pam. Dyllys and her late husband Roy, used to run The Stones Arms in Skellingthorpe, and it was a conversation between the two women that started the ball rolling.

 

Pam and Dyllys, have always been supported in their efforts by Pam’s husband Mike and Dyllys’ late husband Roy, and Pam announced that she wanted to dedicate the award to Roy.

One of the latest efforts has seen volunteer Barbara Lawton raise £21,000 by knitting Easter chicks, each holding a small Easter egg.

Group pix of Candles’ trustees and volunteers celebrating success with members of the Lincoln Civic Party

Group pix of Candles’ trustees and volunteers celebrating success with members of the Lincoln Civic Party

The highly-coveted Lincoln Civic Award is made in silver and was crafted in the style of an eight-sided obelisk by the late Lincoln silversmith Derek Birch.

Previous winners, who have been presented with the award since 1967, include individuals, organisations and businesses, such as Running Imp International, Lincoln City Football Club, Lincoln Street Pastors and last year’s winners – The Red Arrows.

The Mayor of Lincoln also handed out five Mayoral Medals during the evening, to local people who have gone above and beyond what is expected of them.

The recipients were: The county’s “Mr Cycling” Ian Emmerson, who organised the Lincoln Grand Prix Cycle Race and who was instrumental in bringing the British Cycling National
Road Race to the county last year; Simon Hoare – who has been helping the City of Lincoln Council with its Anti-Poverty Strategy – and Hilda Morrison, a citizen who has
been quietly helping to keep Hartsholme Park free of litter and who has now officially been made a “volunteer”.

Medals were also presented to Lincoln Industrial Chaplain and Chaplain to the Lincoln Freemen’s Guild, the Reverend Canon Andrew Vaughan and Anne Davidson, who has helped to raise thousands of pounds locally for the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.