Pat Gallagher holds her final fundraising event in Stamford for the Wajir Mission, Kenya

A woman who has helped to raise half a million pounds for others over the past 50 years is stepping back from the fundraising front line.

Pat Gallagher held ‘A Musical Extravaganza’ as her swan song activity for the Wajir Mission, which supports a community in north-east Kenya, on the border of Ethiopia and Somalia.

The concert took place on Saturday (November 9) at St Augustine’s School hall in Kesteven Road, Stamford.

As well as helping to raise £1,500 it was a memorial for Maggie Maclennan, a former music teacher at Stamford High School who Pat described as having had a personality that would always cheer others. Maggie died in November last year.

Helping to make the concert a sell-out were Maggie’s grandson Archie, who played the piano, St Augustine’s headteacher Tina Cox, who sang a solo rendition of Ave Maria as well as a duet, and Michael Crow and his ukulele band, who had the audience singing and clapping along.

Tom Day played the violin accompanied by his wife, Rebecca, on the piano, and Nicholas Armitage sang a duet with his daughter, who is a soprano.

After the concert, Pat thanked all those who took part to make it a success, including those who served drinks in the interval, and Wendy who looked after the accounts.

She added: “We’re thrilled to have made £1,500 from the event, which has been added to funds for the mission.

“Although this is my swan song I’m still running a donation scheme called ‘Would you miss £1 a week?’, and if taxpayers join in their donation becomes £1.25 with gift aid.”

Pat became involved in supporting the Wajir Mission 50 years ago when her husband, Kevin, was posted to Malta with the RAF. A local Catholic priest arranged support for people fleeing the Ethiopian-Somali conflict into north-east Kenya, and Pat continued this on her return to Stamford, persuading Fr Bill Saunders of St Mary and St Augustine Church to adopt the Wajir Mission.

Over the years about £500,000 has been raised and invested in a school, medical facilities, a mother and baby clinic and an orphanage, as well as education in hygiene and growing crops.

Money has come in through a variety of fun events with Pat at the helm, including garden parties, coffee mornings, raffles, sales, stalls and lunches.

Pat’s decision to step back from organising events is because she will soon turn 90 and because her husband of nearly 70 years is very ill.

While in Peterborough City Hospital, the RAF veteran and Royal British Legion member was helped to lay a wreath for Remembrance Day this year in the hospital chapel.

Pat and her family would now like Kevin to receive palliative care at home.

To find out how to support the Wajir Mission, phone Pat on 01780 754053.