Husband’s charity tribute to wife breaks £20,000 target

John Philpott, of Huddersfield, began fundraising by chance when friends and family who attended the funeral of his wife Joanne donated £1,200 instead of giving flowers.

The 57-year-old financial advisor gave the money to Yorkshire Cancer Research by setting up a JustGiving page and soon more of Joanne’s friends began donating.

Mr Philpott explained: “I set my fundraising target at £2,500 and invited people who knew Joanne to donate through the page, and the money just kept coming in. Within a month I had increased my target to £5,000.

“When I decided to take part in the London Marathon in April in memory of Joanne I increased it even further

“I never expected to get to £20,000, not at this point but maybe later in the year. The fact that I’ve achieved it now is fantastic.”

Mother-of-four Mrs Philpott, who worked as a practice nurse in Brighouse, was diagnosed with terminal brain and lung cancer in June last year, and died in September aged 50.

Mr Philpott described her as a “fantastic wife and mother who touched the lives of everyone she met”. He plans to continue fund-raising until the end of the year, and then he will close down the page.

He added: “It’s very humbling to think that hundreds have given money in her memory, from £1 to £1,000. Raising such a brilliant amount is a great legacy to my wife and it has given me something to do and to aim for.”