A North Hykeham angler has raised more than £35,000 for Lincoln's Breast Unit after his wife's cancer care
Chris Frankish began fundraising to buy the unit a coffee machine and hasn't stopped for seven years
An angler from North Hykeham has raised more than £35,000 for Lincoln County Hospital's Breast Unit as a thank you for the care his wife received after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Chris and Gudrun Frankish have spent the last seven years supporting the unit, holding a series of annual fishing matches.
How it started
Gudrun's breast cancer was detected during what she describes as a chance invitation for her first mammogram in 2019, when she was 48 years old.
The mammogram showed a lump, and after a biopsy confirmed it was cancer, Gudrun had surgery to remove the lump and surrounding lymph nodes.
"I remember the day well," said Gudrun, "it was my 49th birthday!"
She went on to have seven weeks of radiotherapy and remained on medication for five years, with Chris by her side throughout her treatment and recovery.
The idea for a coffee machine
The fundraising began with a simple wish to make appointments a little easier for others.
"The first time I came for treatment, I remember wanting a cup of coffee, but there weren't any facilities available," said Gudrun.
"We thought that everyone attending the clinic would benefit from having access to a hot drink, something to steady the nerves while waiting for appointments."
Chris, a passionate fisherman and member of the Archer Fishing Syndicate at Culverthorpe Lakes near Grantham, organised a fishing competition to raise the money.
Around 25 anglers took part, raising enough to buy two coffee machines, one for the breast screening clinic and another for the diagnostic clinic.
An annual event
The competition proved so successful that it became an annual event, raising more than £35,000 over seven years.
The fundraising took on even greater meaning when Chris suffered a stroke in 2022, which left him unable to speak and with limited mobility in his left arm.
The fishing competition became a powerful motivator in his recovery.
"I needed to keep my mind active and planning the fishing match gave me purpose to get up each day," he said.
"I love carp fishing and I wanted to be able to hold the rod in my hand again."
'It's amazing to see what they have achieved'
Julie Morgan, Macmillan Cancer Care Coordinator with the Breast Care Nurse Team at Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said the couple's generosity had made a real difference.
"It's amazing to see what they have achieved over the last seven years," she said.
"We have so much pride in what Chris has done to support the Lincoln Breast Unit and the difference these funds have made for our patients."
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity Manager Ben Petts said the money had funded far more than the coffee machines.
"Chris and Gudrun's generosity has touched many lives," he said.
"As well as supporting the maintenance and stocking of the coffee machines, their donations have funded numerous items over the years including creative toolkits supporting children affected by cancer in the family and furniture for the garden at the Breast Unit. Their generosity will ensure we can continue to fund other improvements which will support future patients facing a cancer diagnosis."
For Chris, the fundraising has always been about one thing, the fact that the early detection of cancer gave him and Gudrun more years together.