A CHARITY set up in memory of a Dorchester musician has been given a boost with a £1,000 donation.

Union Unite chose the Steve Charles Help a Friend Fund as one of their charity recipients and regional officer Steve Attwill and senior steward Steve Major presented the cheque to fund chairman Ben King at the Colliton Club.

The charity was started to pay for private treatment for Mr Charles in his final stages of throat cancer, and friends have continued fundraising in his memory to help others afford their own healthcare.

Mr Major said: “I knew Steve since I was a teenager, through music and football.

“It was such a tragedy that he died, and this charity has brought to mind what it is we can do to help other people.

“It is nice to have that link but the union does a lot to help charities and good causes.”

Mr Attwill added: “It’s not just about arguing over pay and pensions. We have supported the Terras youth football club in the past, as well as the Living Wage Campaign in Dorset.”

Mr King said the money would help the charity to ‘really make a difference’ in the community.

He added: “We are receiving requests on a fairly regular basis at the moment, and hopefully we will be putting on another fundraising event later this year.

“It all started quite small, but over the last two years the charity has just grown and grown.”

Jack Daniels, a close friend of Mr Charles, said: “It’s just amazing because this donation came completely out of the blue.

“We have had such a lot of support from the community, and it never fails to amaze me how generous people can be when times are so hard.

“The idea is people can come to us if they have a friend in need.

“It’s perfect for a small town like Dorchester where everyone knows each other.”

For details about the charity, visit hafhaf.co.uk<&eh>