Shrewsbury man wants cancer fund milestone in memory of mum

Mark Fielden said he thought his mum would be "very proud" of him

A man whose mum died of breast cancer said he would feel proud to hit a £20,000 fundraising goal in her memory.

Mark Fielden, from Shrewsbury, first held a musical event for the Lingen Davies charity in 2016, a year after Margaret Fielden was diagnosed.

Although he intended it to be a one-off, Saturday's Chords Crush Cancer night will be his eighth.

"I think she'd be looking down with a huge grin on her face, very, very proud," he said of his mum.

Mr Fielden began fundraising to "give something back" to Lingen Davies, which supported his mother's treatment.

The first event, featuring a couple of friends who were musicians, was "meant to be just a one-off ", he explained.

"I didn't really have a target, I just hoped to raise a few hundred pounds to give to the charity. Raising over £1,200 at the first one was a bit mind-blowing," he said.

"I thought 'wow, if I can raise that much on one night let's do it again'."

Ms Fielden was treated throught support from Lingen Davies after she was diagnosed with breast cancer

Although his mum died in 2017, he decided to keep going and last year's event raised £4,500.

Mr Fielden said he was keen to nudge his overall total past the £20,000 mark and expected to feel emotional when he hit it.

"Probably a range of emotions from excitement to one of feeling very proud," he said.

Mr Fielden said his mum loved sports and animals, worked as a childminder and helped out at her local church

The event on Saturday, held at Inn on the Green in Shrewsbury, features live bands, entertainers, a raffle and an auction with prizes including signed Liverpool and Shrewsbury Town football shirts.

The full-time retail manager said he was grateful for support from celebrities and businesses over the years, including comedian Chris Ramsey and Shrewsbury Town's captain Chey Dunkley.

"[Organising] it is time consuming - I've sent thousands of emails to people," he said. "When you get some of the fantastic prizes I've mentioned it really makes everything worthwhile."

He also self-published a book about his fundraising journey called "Memories of Margaret" with profits going towards the charity.

"I want to give hope to those who are suffering with cancer, comfort to those who have lost a loved one and ultimately to inspire the next generation of fundraisers," he said.

He described his mum as a "loving person" with "infectious humour" who put others first and introduced him to supporting Shrewsbury Town FC.

"She never liked a fuss so wouldn't want it to be all about her," he said. "But she would be immensely proud of all the money that we've raised."

Shrewsbury Town's Chey Dunkley signed a shirt which was painted with his image for the event on Saturday

The Lingen Davies charity funds support for patients treated at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital's Lingen Davies Cancer Centre

Helen Knight, head of fundraising, called Mr Fielden's efforts "phenomenal".

"On behalf of everyone at Lingen Davies who will benefit from this fundraising I would like to say a very heartfelt thank you," she added.