Remembering Jimbo: Former Eccleston village butcher celebrated on what would have been his 80th birthday
Jim 'Jimbo' Wright, former Eccleston butcher, is celebrated with family and friends in Eccleston, raising £2,000 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.
Former village butcher Jim “Jimbo” Wright was remembered on what would have been his 80th birthday when family and friends got together with regulars at Eccleston Institute for a celebration of his life
The event, which raised £2,000 for charity Rosemere Cancer Foundation, was organised by family members including Jimbo’s granddaughter Emma Cowburn. The evening of live music was headlined by vocalist Dom Jay, who sang some of Jimbo’s favourite Elvis songs along with other hits from the 1950s and 60s. There was also a raffle, games and the chance to bid on a signed Wigan Warriors ball.
Emma said: “Sadly, we lost grandad to cancer in October 2020. Before he retired, grandad worked as an HGV driver but for many years, he owned Wight’s Butchers in Eccleston. On his Sunday afternoons, he liked to go to the Institute to catch up with friends and family, have a drink and a game of snooker.
“We are very grateful to everyone who supported our celebration, including all the local businesses in and around Eccleston, which donated our many excellent raffle prizes, the family friend who donated the Wigan Warriors ball and Dom, who kept us entertained all evening. Thank you also to Lisa Hough for all her help on the night and with the organisation.”
The celebration evening was Jimbo’s family’s second fundraising event for Rosemere Cancer Foundation in his memory. In 2021, two of Jimbo’s grandsons, brothers Ryan and Liam Banks, Emma’s cousins, climbed the National Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon), which they made all the harder by cycling the distance in between the mountains, to raise more than £5,000 for the charity. It took the brothers just 67 hours to complete their feat.
Hannah Leahy, fundraising assistant for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “Our thanks to Emma, her family and everyone who supported Jimbo’s in memoriam birthday celebration. It’s lovely that Jimbo is still bringing family and friends together to make happy memories and remains a force in Eccleston.”
Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, Lancashire and South Cumbria’s regional specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties.
The charity funds the latest in cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients' cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk