Brian the founder of Daft as a Brush, Edith Bradley, Marion and Bob Taylor,.
No sooner had the decision been made than Marion and Bob, central to the Columbia Community Association team, promptly set about advertising the event online and contacting local businesses etc.
The Brady Bunch, as she calls them, rallied round in abundance. Marion and Bob also visited Daft as a Brush headquarters where they met the amazing Brian Burnie, founder of this fantastic charity after Cancer struck his wife. Her story, thank goodness, was a success and she overcame this traumatic ordeal. As a result of this Brian told Marion he realized that possessions mean little when your health is at stake and decided to sell his £16 million mansion and all his wares and created Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care. The charity covers Durham, North and South Tyneside and Northumberland and to date 80,000 patients have benefited from this free service.
The charity is run by volunteers who transport cancer patients to and from hospital and frequently stay with them throughout their treatment. Brian’s dream, he said, ‘Is to increase the number who can use the service to 100,000, however, to accommodate this it is essential to fund-raise to make this happen.’
No sooner said than done: the CCA team had raffles and sold Daft as a Brush memorabilia, arm bands, badges, car air fresheners, car window stickers for £1 and sturdy cotton bags for £3.00. The community baked cakes, companies donated cakes and pastries, a necessity for the diabetics, we did not want to leave anyone out.
Local people and ex patriots of Brady Square travelled to be part of the fund-raising day though Margaret Graham, Frost Magazine editor, and with roots firmly embedded in Brady Square, had Covid so had to miss the fun. She was not happy, everyone. Really she was not. Duck!
The tables were set and were spectacular, it was all so scrumptious. How could anyone resist when these delicious cream cakes were shouting “Eat Me” so eat me they did. They also provided boxes for the folks to take the delicacies home with them.
Andy Hayes, a friend to CCA, and a volunteer himself arrived in one of the Ambulances and Marion’s dear friend Brian Mason adorned the building with Daft as a Brush signage.
Local businesses put collection buckets in their premises, and everyone was thrilled to be involved, and of course, the raffle helped things to tick along.
The total raised by this amazing community was… believe it or not… £1,200.
The last thing for Marion to do was to liaise with Daft as a Brush for the cheque photoshoot.
“Smile everyone you are simply the best.”
‘Indeed you all are,’ says Margaret Graham, editor, now back on her feet, and cross about missing such a lovely day. .