An annual angling competition founded by a North Hykeham husband has raised more than £35,000 for the Breast Unit at Lincoln County Hospital, with the first event funding two coffee machines for clinics.
From diagnosis to fundraising
Chris and Gudrun Frankish have spent the last seven years supporting the unit. Gudrun was 48 when a routine mammogram revealed a lump that required immediate surgery and treatment. She underwent seven weeks of radiotherapy following the diagnosis on her birthday, followed by five years of medication.
During treatment, the couple noticed that visitors lacked simple comforts like being able to make hot drinks during tense waiting periods. Chris, a keen fisherman, decided to organise an angling competition at Culverthorpe Lakes to buy a coffee machine for the unit.
Two machines and ongoing support
The event raised enough cash to install two hot drink machines – one for the breast screening clinic and another for the diagnostic clinic. The competition was so successful that it turned into an annual event, raising more than £35,000 over the last seven years.
Hospital staff have used the money to stock the drink machines, buy garden furniture and provide support kits for young families.
Personal motivation after stroke
The fundraising effort took on new meaning when Chris suffered a stroke in 2022 that affected his speech and movement. Organising the annual contest provided vital motivation during his rehabilitation.
"I needed to keep my mind active and planning the fishing match gave me purpose to get up each day," said Chris. "I love carp fishing and I wanted to be able to hold the rod in my hand again."
Julie Morgan, Macmillan cancer care coordinator, can't thank the couple enough for their generosity in supporting the Lincoln Breast Unit.
A thank you for more years together
For Chris, however, the fundraising has always been about one thing – that the unit's early detection of cancer gave him and his wife more years together. He said: "Gudrun has been my support for 30 years, this is my thank you for the gift of my wife."
