Stamp collector passes 94,000 target for charity

Over 20,000 stamps have been donated to Alan in the last fortnight

A man who wanted to collect 94,000 stamps in time for his 94th birthday so he could donate them to charity has hit his target.

Alan Barker, from Harrogate, said he was "overwhelmed" with emotion to receive thousands of stamps from well-wishers, following a campaign led by BBC Radio York.

Mr Barker is now planning to give his collection to Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his wife and son-in-law, who both died from the disease within seven weeks of each other.

Donations to the appeal came from across the country, including one neighbour who handed over 11,000 stamps.

Mr Barker hopes the stamps will raise awareness and funds to support others living with cancer

Mr Barker started collecting postage stamps after being given his first one by his father in 1937, aged seven.

In the years since, Mr Barker built up a collection of 63,347 stamps from all over the world, but wanted to reach 94,000 in time for his birthday on 5 July.

Since speaking to the BBC earlier this month, more than 21,000 stamps have been donated, with more arriving every day.

"I've been up past midnight at least three nights trimming up the stamps with some whiskey to see me through," he said.

"I can see there won't be enough hours in the day in the next week as I finish counting them all."

One woman who donated to the appeal said the collection had belonged to her father.

"My father was also called Alan and I'd had his stamp collection in the bottom of a cupboard so when I heard about Mr Barker's appeal on the radio and that he was collecting for Macmillan I thought that's what I need to do with these stamps," she said.

Mr Barker hopes the stamps will raise awareness and funds to support others living with cancer.

"Everyone is affected by cancer in some way and I think that's why we've had so many stamps donated," said Mr Barker.

"I think my late wife Eileen and son-in-law would be pleased that their memories are living on."

Mr Barker said despite devoting his life to building up his collection, he won't miss the stamps once he donates them.

"The way I look at it is the stamps will be doing something I can't do, which is raising money and helping people," he said.

Mr Barker now hopes to personally thank as many people as possible who left their contact details with the stamps they donated.

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