Weymouth 80-year-old celebrates with Weldmar fundraiser (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth 80-year-old celebrates with Weldmar fundraiser

10:00am Saturday 12th December 2009 in

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GENEROUS Joan Mowlam will be celebrating her 80th birthday today by fundraising for a Dorset charity.

The octogenarian has asked friends and family to support the Show Them You Care campaign instead of buying presents this year.

All donations will go to the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, which helps to care for people in north, south and west Dorset with life- limiting illnesses and their families.

Former lollipop lady Joan, of Rylands Lane, Weymouth, is a well-known character in the town.

She fostered around 20 local children over many years and helped pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School to cross the road between 1972 and 1986.

Her daughter Susan Francis of Rodwell, Weymouth, said she was ‘so proud’ of her mother for giving up her gifts for a worthy cause.

She said: “My mother is 80 today and instead of having presents she’s asked for money for the hospicecare trust.

“She had bowel cancer two years ago which she recovered from after an operation and also quite a few of our family had cancer before Weldmar was around to help.

“Mum has chosen to support Weldmar because she thinks it’s such a positive thing. They’re doing a fantastic job.”

Mother-of-seven Joan was born in 1929 in Weymouth and District Hospital and grew up in Osmington.

She married Jimmy and they had four sons Anthony, Philip, Stephen and Julian Mowlam, and three daughters Susan, Marlene White and Kathleen Hook, and lived for many years in Verne Road, Rodwell.