Wokingham

Former chairman of Wokingham District Council Cllr Iain Brown raised a staggering £14,500 for Sebastian’s Action Trust and he presented a cheque to Jane and Michael Gates, at a special presentation evening held last week (Tuesday June 27).

It is traditional for the Wokingham chairman to support a charity during his term in office. Sebastian’s Action Trust, a local charity, was formed in memory of Sebastian Gates who tragically died of cancer at the age of nine, after a two and a half year battle against the illness. His last wish was to build a holiday home where children suffering from life-threatening illnesses could go with their families to spend time together away from hospital and the punishing regimes that govern the lives of cancer patients. The charity has already raised £480,000 for the holiday home.

Wokingham Cllr Brown said: “One of the first jobs I had to attend to some 13 months ago was to select a charity for my civic year and it was a difficult task and probably the one that I gave the most thought to.

“In my view the charity had to be local, involving children and young people, and one that had an achievable objective. And so it was that I came to find out about Sebastian’s Action Trust. Sebastian was a boy I would love to have met. What guts he had knowing that he was dying and then making plans about how he was going to do something about making life more tolerable for others suffering from similar life-threatening illnesses. What vision he had to have a realistic project in mind. How proud his mother and father must now be, despite losing a much loved son.”

Cllr Brown hosted a number of events during his Wokingham year in office, including a spring dinner dance held at St Anne’s manor, which raised £3,500. The Wokingham Half Marathon also raised £1,250 whilst the annual fireworks’ display organised by the Unicorns raised £300. Other highlights of the chairman’s civic year included the annual carol concert at Loddon Valley – a very enjoyable evening which raised £3,800 for the charity.

Sebastian’s mother Jane Gates said: “It has been a real pleasure working with Iain and Carole over the past 12 months.

“We at Sebastian’s Action Trust truly appreciate the time, effort and commitment they have both made to raising the profile of the Trust and to generating much-needed funds.

“The £14,500 raised during Iain’s year as chairman is a fantastic achievement and testament to their efforts on our behalf. The contribution has brought us even closer to achieving our first financial target of £500,000, which is the sum needed to build Sebastian’s House.

“We hope that once we come through the planning process we will be able to open the doors to Sebastian’s House in the next 12 months. We feel both honoured and proud of Iain and Carole’s association with our cause and look on them as personal friends of the Trust.”

Wokingham Cllr Brown added: “Just because my chairmanship is over, doesn’t mean that my interest in Sebastian’s Action Trust will be diminished. I very much am looking forward to construction actually starting and I hope this contribution will bring that start day closer. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone across the whole district who has supported my chosen charity and dug so deep into their pockets for such a worthwhile cause.”

Wokingham District Council