Haverhill Cricket Club’s annual fund-raiser for St Nicholas Hospice Care in memory of Louise Wallage raises more than £30,000
A cricket fund-raiser created in memory of a ‘much-loved’ Haverhill woman has passed the £30,000 mark for charity.
Haverhill Cricket Club hosted the match on Sunday at its Manor Road ground for the fourth straight year to raise money for St Nicholas Hospice Care in memory of Louise Wallage, who died from a brain tumour in October 2021 at the age of 48.
Louise was a regular visitor to the club, where son Dan is a first team player and her widower Paul and daughter Lauren are also supporters.
After her death the family and club worked together to put on an annual match and give the proceeds to the Bury St Edmunds-based hospice in gratitude to the care and support it has given to them.
Each year a team captained by Paul takes on a side skippered by his brother-in-law, Mick Franks. The latter won this year’s match-up.
A Just Giving fund-raising page is also in place to enable donations to be made to the cause at any time, to which takings from the annual match day are added. Although the match day proceeds and donations are yet to be tallied, Paul said the overall total raised will definitely have risen to beyond £30,000.
Paul said of the day: “There were a lot of people. All the food trucks near enough sold out so they were well happy and they said they want to come back next year.
“It went perfectly well. We were really chuffed.”
That Eighties Band played live after the match while food options were provided by The Little Pizza Oven, the Noodle and Dumpling Van, an ice ream and desserts van and a barbecue, and there was face painting by Joni and inflatables from Dellar Sports Coaching.
Abby Mayes, St Nicholas Hospice Care corporate fund-raising manager said: “The Wallage family fund-raising is phenomenal - an amazing amount of money that will make a huge difference to our hospice.
"It's clear that Louise was well-loved and it was so wonderful to see a community rally together to do something positive. Thank you to everyone involved."
