A GROUP of just six people helped raise £27,000 in a year for the Huntingdonshire area, organising events to aid the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The six committee members have worked tirelessly to raise money for the district, and annually top the £20

A GROUP of just six people helped raise £27,000 in a year for the Huntingdonshire area, organising events to aid the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The six committee members have worked tirelessly to raise money for the district, and annually top the £20,000 mark for the BHF.

Money is spent on various projects - the latest donation was to Hinchingbrooke Hospital which was given a £4,000 resuscitation doll.

The committee was set up in 1982 by then Mayor of St Ives, Jean Chandler.

Since then it has been fundraising through such schemes as sponsored sporting events, walks and a Christmas candle appeal in memory of loved ones.

Mrs Chandler, who is still committee chairman, said: "My mother had just been diagnosed with angina at the time the BHF asked St Ives Town Council to set up a support group, so it seemed appropriate to get involved.

"We have now taken over the entire Huntingdonshire area in fundraising, and for the last few years we have been raising in excess of £20,000 annually.

"We spend a lot of the money raised locally and were recently able to provide seven defibrillators for Huntingdonshire District Council leisure centres.

"Dr Anthony Brooks was involved in training leisure centre staff to use the new equipment and that's when he asked for us to provide a new resuscitation dummy for Hinchingbrooke Hospital - we provided a basic one over 10 years ago. This one comes with a tracksuit though."

The next fundraising event organised is a sponsored Hearts First bike ride taking place on Sunday, September 16.

The starting point is the Dolphin Hotel in St Ives at 10.30am.

"On our way out of Hinchingbrooke, after presenting them with the resuscitation doll, we were stopped by an American man who was visiting his wife.

"He had had a triple heart bypass exactly four weeks to the day. He stopped us in the car park and wanted to know how he could give something back to the BHF.

"We told him about the forthcoming bike ride and it turns out he is a member of the fire contingency service at Molesworth (the United States Air Force base).

"All the firemen will hopefully be dressing up for the occasion."

The committee is hoping to raise over £3,000 from the event and wants as many people as possible to get involved in the 22.5mile bike ride.

INFORMATION: For more details about the bike ride, or to get a registration form, contact Jean Chandler on 01480 469557 or Anita Walker on 07743 406083.

Registration forms are also available from Richardson's Cycles St Ives.