A CANCER patient has hailed a York charity which took him to Leeds for treatment every day for seven weeks.

Ian Spaven, 57, said York Against Cancer organised free door-to-door transport from his home in Acomb to hospital in Leeds, where he received intensive radiotherapy for throat cancer.

“They took me there and back, every weekday, normally in a minibus but occasionally in a car,” he said.

“They were absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t have asked for more.

“I have lost a lot of income since I fell ill and would really have struggled with the cost of getting over to Leeds every day.

“I didn’t even know they did this until a Macmillan nurse mentioned it to me.”

Now the long distance lorry driver and his partner, Sally Parker, have decided to raise funds for the charity by organising a fun day at their local pub, the Beagle in Foxwood Lane.

“This is my way of saying thank you,” said Ian, of Stuart Road.

He said the event at the pub would take place from 2pm inwards on Saturday August 20 and would feature a barbecue, bingo, bouncy castle, teddy tombola, massage tent, face painting and lots more.

“We have also got a guest singer, Graham Greene, a local singer, who does 70s, 80s, 90s stuff,” he said.

“We will have a raffle with many prizes donated by large and small businesses in Acomb and York, from Currys at Clifton Moor to the Sun Inn on Acomb Green,” he said.

“Currys have given a digital radio, head phones and a selfie stick, and the Sun Inn has given two meals for two. We’ve got 65 prizes now.”

He said he hoped to raise several hundred pounds and planned to do more fundraising at a later stage for Macmillan Cancer Support, who had been a big help to him during his illness.

Ian said he discovered he had throat cancer earlier this year when he noticed some lumps on his neck and went to the doctor, and a biopsy was ordered.

He was given no fewer than 35 daily doses of radiotherapy during the seven weeks, along with eight bouts of chemotherapy.

He said the radiotherapy was very unpleasant, causing burns that meant he couldn’t eat or drink for a while.

However, they had now healed up , and he was beginning to eat and drink again.

He added that he would be returning to hospital after four months to check that the cancer had all gone.