Rocker Francis dishes out the cash

By Andrew Clarke

TWO local good causes have benefited from donations from an Egremont musician’s charity.

The Charlie and Kathleen Dunnery Children’s Fund (CKDCF) – set up by former It Bites star Francis Dunnery in memory of his parents – donated £1,000 to both West Cumbria Society for the Blind and Rosehill Youth Theatre.

The donation to the blind society forms part of an ongoing campaign to buy an eye-gaze machine for Lily Tyson, who has the rare Rett syndrome. The machine costs £12,000 and could allow the eight-year-old be able to communicate with her friends and family.

CKDCF’s Mark Andrews said: “Fay – Francis’ sister – enquired about donating to Lily as she had seen it in The Whitehaven News. Even though we can’t donate to individuals, we were able to help through the Society for the Blind. The Rosehill donation is an annual one to help with their costs.”

Francis, who now lives in the United States and had a number of his singles in the 1980s, was on hand to present the donations at an event at Egremont Castle, alongside a number of his family members and the charity’s supporters.

CKDCF raises its funds from an annual weekend, including a concert from Francis and a sponsored walk around Ennerdale. It has donated tens of thousands of pounds over the last decade to causes that benefit local children. Francis has described the charity as his “greatest achievement”.

PUBLISHED June 6, 2016

Published on www.whitehavennews.co.uk