A DORCHESTER deli is aiming to raise £20,000 for Weldmar in their 20th birthday year.

Manager Wayne Garnett from the Fridge in Tudor Arcade, Dorchester, took over the deli in January 1995.

He is aiming to raise £20,000 for Weldmar Hospicecare for a special reason ‘very close’ to his heart.

He lost his father, David Garnett, to cancer in February 1995 at the age of 55. He spent his last days in the Joseph Weld Hospice and Mr Garnett said the staff did an ‘amazing’ job.

Then in September 2012 Mr Garnett lost his ‘best friend in the world’, David Foot, to cancer and he again passed his last days at the hospice. He was 46 years old.

Again Mr Garnett said the staff were ‘amazing’ and looked after them both so well. And so in tribute and memory of his best friend and father, Mr Garnett set himself the fundraising target to ‘give something back’ to those who had cared for them.

He said: “I’m going to give Weldmar £20,000 whatever. If I only raise £10,000, I’ll write a cheque for the other £10,000.”

He added: “Losing those people closest to me was so very hard and the fact that Weldmar made that whole situation so much easier for the loved ones I was losing and for me as a visitor.

“They are amazing people doing an amazing job. Doing anything at all to give something back makes me feel good.”

So throughout the company’s birthday year, starting now and finishing in December 2015, Mr Garnett will be hosting a raft of fundraising events and ideas. This includes a raffle, events in store and with membership holders.

Mr Garnett said his customers were ‘very supportive’ and a few had been in already offering to do various sponsored events to help the cause, including a sponsored run and a crochet challenge.

At the end of the year Mr Garnett is hoping to hold a charity gala night where the money will be handed over to the charity.

But people can get involved now, either via donating in store, entering the raffle or making a donation via the website at fridge20k.com