A CROSGATES couple combined the celebration of their golden wedding by raising £2000 for two charities who provide tremendous support to the blind.

George and Elizabeth Hunter celebrated their golden wedding with a large party for family and friends.

In lieu of gifts, they invited their guests to donate to their favourite charities which impacted greatly on the life of Elizabeth’s late mother, Chrissie Venters. Chrissie, at the age of 28 years-old, and the day after giving birth to her third child, was left completely blind following the sudden discovery of a brain tumour.

After a long stay in hospital and recuperation at Alwyn House in Ceres, Chrissie went on to live a long and happy life.

Elizabeth explained that invaluable to her mother's life was the ongoing help given to her and the family by Fife Society for the Blind, who supported her in many ways from practical advice such as supplying simple aids which help the blind and visually impaired cope with everyday life to mental help and support networks.

"The other charity which made Chrissie’s life so much the richer was Dunfermline Sound, the talking newspaper, which she listened to avidly every week," said Elizabeth.

It was with great pleasure that George and Elizabeth and their guests raised a very generous £2000 for the charities.

Cheques for £1000 were presented to each of the charities during the course of the weekly Dunfermline Probus Club meeting, held at The City Hotel, for which George and Arthur Sutton, chairman of Dunfermline Sound, are members.

Gemma Kirk gratefully received the cheque on behalf of Fife Society of the Blind.

George, who himself is a popular poet in the Crossgates-Cowdenbeath area, and Elizabeth, were delighted with the total raised for charity.

They said: "We would like to thank our friends and family for being so generous and giving to two such wonderful charities and for making our golden wedding celebration extra special".