Fundraiser Arnold, 93, receives his BEM
A 93-YEAR-OLD cancer research campaigner has been presented with the British Empire Medal after nearly six decades of fundraising.
Arnold Ashworth, from Whitworth, was recently given the medal in recognition of his outstanding community work and fundraising - following his appearance in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.
Mr Ashworth began fundraising for the Cancer Research UK Whitworth Branch Committee in 1964 alongside late wife Joyce, and has raised more than £600,000 through his 58 years of charitable work.
The BEM medal was presented to him by the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, at the ceremony at Gorton
Monastery.
He said: “I was humbled because you don’t do it to get an award; you do it because you want to do it. You want to help other people. I looked after Joyce for four years before she died; she had terminal cancer four years ago, but we were fundraising a long time before she died.”
Arnold, who was born in Castleton and retired from working as an engineering pattern maker 30 years ago, said he could not have won the award without the support of the people of Whitworth.
The founder member of the Whitworth Amateur Dramatics Society added that the ceremony was ‘very simple, but very nice’. “I just met with people afterwards and talked about what they’d done,” he said.
“In my case my BEM is for work in the community and for charity and the charity part is working as a volunteer for 50 years and we’ve raised over £600,000 in that 50 years.”
A life member of Lobden Golf Club, Arnold said he hosted a afternoon tea party fundraiser at the club last Sunday which raised £666. And he is still looking at ways to raise more money, having set a £15,000 target for 2022.
“I’m trying to think of different events I can do.
“We’ve been hit as all charities have been by Covid, but we’ve just got to bounce back haven’t we?” he added.