Cumbria County Council's Chairman Alan Toole has named the two charities he'll be backing this year in his Chairman's Good Causes Fund.
Fundraising efforts will be channelled towards the Stroke Association and the Jigsaw Appeal at Eden Valley Hospice.
Cllr Toole said: "I have chosen Eden Valley Hospice's Jigsaw Appeal as when I was Mayor of Carlisle I visited the hospice and was very impressed. I was told then that they were planning a children's extension and little did I know that I would eventually be here today choosing them for my Chairman's Good Causes Fund.
"The Stroke Association was also a natural choice for me. My wife had a stroke when she was the Mayoress of Carlisle and subsequently has had several mini strokes. I am pleased to say that at the moment she is doing very well.
"I hope everyone agrees that these are very worthwhile charities, although there are many more that I would love to have supported, were the cash available. I am a 'hands on' Chairman and am available if and when required to support the people of Cumbria."
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Notes
Pictured with Joe Jigsaw at the nearly completed children's extension at Eden Valley Hospice are (l-r) Eden Valley Hospice head of fundraising Colin Powell, Cumbria County Council Chairman Alan Toole, and Eden Valley Hospice fundraising manager Katrina Sander.
Eden Valley Hospice has recently achieved its target to raise a million pounds to create Cumbria's first children's hospice. It still needs to raise almost £2m a year to support the work of the hospice and only about 25% of this is funded by the NHS. This leaves Eden Valley Hospice the challenge of finding over £1.5m a year through the ongoing help and commitment from local companies, organisations and individuals.
Eden Valley Hospice has identified 300 families in Cumbria that can benefit from the new children's hospice. Currently families have to travel to Blackpool, Glasgow or Newcastle.
Every year, an estimated 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. Most people affected are over 65, but anyone can have a stroke, including children and even babies. A stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK. It is also the single most common cause of severe disability. More than 250,000 people live with disabilities caused by stroke. For more information on the Stroke Association visit www.stroke.org.uk