Local Women Launch £50K Fundraising Crusade in Memory of Loved Ones

Like so many, we have been affected by cancer

By Rachel & Carrie

Rachel’s much loved brother Matthew Turner died in December 2019 aged just 44. He was treated at Lingen Davies Cancer Centre many times during his cancer battle. Rachel often went and sat with him whilst he had his treatment and during this time she saw the amazing staff working so hard to help all the patients and their families. The charity helps so much within the local community supporting patients and raising awareness.

Rachel sadly lost her dad, Roger Turner to cancer in 2011. He was unable to have treatment, and Rachel knows how different the journeys were with Lingen Davies being involved. Rachel decided in 2024 she wanted to do something to help other families who are going through such difficult times so decided the obvious solution was to run the London marathon!

Lingen Davies has been a big part of Carrie’s family’s lives for just under 20 years with Carrie’s Grandad, Nan, Mum and many other family members and friends being treated at the Centre. She also notes that the wonderful staff support not only the people with Cancer but their families, too, which is absolutely incredible and makes an otherwise daunting and uncertain time, a little easier to bear.

Rachel ran the London Marathon in 2025 and raised a whopping £13,774.25.

When Rachel was fundraising, Carrie offered to put on a Charity Ball to help towards the effort which was a massive success. Since then, they’ve been talking about ways to raise more money for Lingen Davies Cancer Centre and one day, Rachel semi-seriously suggested that maybe together they could raise £50,000 in Matt’s memory as it would have been his 50th birthday in July. Not one to turn down a challenge for fundraising, Carrie was completely up for it straight away and thus began the crusade!

Our crusade actually coincides with the newly unveiled Sunflower Appeal, which aims to raise £5million to branch out Cancer Care to Telford to enable more treatment for more people.

So far we’ve hosted an Afternoon Tea in the Wynnstay, Oswestry (sell-out event), raising almost £2,000 towards our target. We had our special guest, Sophie Jones who was sadly diagnosed with Low-Grade Serious Ovarian Cancer last year. Sophie was treated at the Centre and after finishing her final chemo, she has since received the amazing news of having “no evidence of disease”. The afternoon tea was kindly sponsored by Malcolm Lewis Windows and Derwas of Welshpool. Having these businesses help out, meant that we could add more to our total.

We will be hosting many events over the next year including open air cinema showing at the Wynnstay in Oswestry, a Moonlight Walk, a psychic night, another afternoon tea and much more!

We would like to say a massive thank you to The Wynnstay who have been hugely supportive of the quest. We are also planning a Summer Ball which will be in July 2026. Rachel will also be undertaking The Great North Run, Everton 10k, London Landmarks Half Marathon and Manchester Marathon, too!

Karen Roberts, Lingen Davies fundraiser, said a huge thank you to Rachel, Carrie and their friends and family for their incredible efforts so far, and dedication to fundraising for the charity. “Rachel and Carrie are fundraising superstars. Rachel has already become our top marathon runner in terms of fundraising success after donating more than £13,000 from her London Marathon challenge.

“I’m delighted to be supporting both with their goal of reaching £50,000 in memory of Rachel’s brother Matthew and Dad Roger, Carrie’s Grandparents who sadly lost their lives to cancer, and all their family and friends who have received treatment at the Centre.”

We are looking for local businesses to help us achieve this target and support any further fundraising events, if this is something you could support, please email us: rc.crusade@gmail.com.