Cancer charity may go to court over cash

Nov 8 2008 by Ben Guy, The Journal

A CHARITY for teenage cancer sufferers yesterday said it had received no money from a summer event held in its name.

But Gary Thompson, the man who organised the Music Means Life talent contest, last night said he would present it with a £2,500 cheque next week.

Speaking to The Journal earlier in the day, Teenage Cancer Trust chief executive Simon Davies had not ruled out taking legal action over the lack of cash from the X-Factor style event at the Rainton Meadows Arena in April.

Mr Davies said he was “extremely disappointed” and claimed teenage cancer sufferers throughout the region had been let down. He said: “We agreed to lend our name to the event after Mr Thompson contacted us.

“He had set the event up and announced it without telling us, but when we knew we were happy to support it. And it was a good event, I went along to the final and it was very well attended.

“There was a verbal agreement that we would get a share of any profits. And there were buckets and a raffle to raise money, which should have been given straight to us. It is money which belongs to the charity. People donating in those buckets were expecting us to get the cash.

“Since the event we have had little contact with Mr Thompson, all we have received is a balance sheet showing that the event lost money.

“We only have some money from the tickets which we sold ourselves.”

Asked about the possibility of launching legal action to get the cash Mr Davies said: “We have a duty to do all that is required to get this money. Teenage cancer sufferers have been let down by this event, we are extremely disappointed.”

The Teenage Cancer Trust will meet Mr Thompson next week, but the organiser told The Journal he was surprised by the attitude of the charity.

He said: “I am still waiting for cash from two companies who pledged money through an auction which we ran during the final. The accounts have not yet been closed on the event. I wanted to give all the cash from the buckets at the same time as everything else. I am meeting with them next week and I will present them with a cheque for £2,500 then.

“This is the first time I have organised a charity event like this. I regret that it has taken so long for them to get any money, but I don’t think that I have let anyone down.”

The Teenage Cancer Trust is aiming to raise £1m to fund a specialist unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital.