A COOK is on course to raise a substantial sum of money to help young cancer sufferers.Jean Howard is marking her 50th birthday and the death of her father from cancer with a trek in Peru to raise money for the charity CLIC Sargent.

By Richard Smith

A COOK is on course to raise a substantial sum of money to help young cancer sufferers.

Jean Howard is marking her 50th birthday and the death of her father from cancer with a trek in Peru to raise money for the charity CLIC Sargent.

Her main money-spinning exercise will be a three-course meal at the Beech Tree restaurant, Notcutts, Woodbridge, where she is the catering manager.

Mrs Howard, of Forest Gardens, Rendlesham, near Woodbridge, will cook the charity dinner and her husband Darrell, who used to run a fish and chip shop in Old Barrack Road, Woodbridge, will be serving drinks.

She said: “I did a walk from Thorpeness to Aldeburgh last year to raise money for breast cancer and that gave me the bug to do something bigger and raise more money.

“The trek is 43km in total which does not sound a lot but you have to go from 85m to 4,200m and the difference in altitude will make a big difference. It takes five days and we have three nights in tents.

“I will have a personal sense of achievement by doing this and also supporting my chosen charity. My father died from cancer and I can imagine it must be worse when you have a child with it.”

The trek will be a family affair as Mrs Howard's daughter, Emma Doughty, 28, of Nottingham, and Mrs Howard's brother David Russell, 52, of Banbury, are also taking part.

She is keeping fit by using the gym at Rendlesham, practising yoga, and cycling to work once a week.

Mrs Howard has to raise £2,700 and funds have come through a car boot sale, collections at Budgen in Woodbridge, and a Christmas card appeal to her friends. The dinner is on June 7 at 7.30pm. Anyone who would like to buy a £15 ticket is asked to contact Mrs Howard on 01394 445390.