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Friends donate thousands to charity in memory of Preston’s ‘potato man’ Keith Roberts

Posted on - 6th December, 2020 - 7:00pm | Author - | Posted in - Charities, Preston City Centre, Preston News, Proud Preston
A group of friends have been fundraising in memory of Keith Roberts

A group of friends have paid a moving tribute to Preston’s ‘potato man’.

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Keith Roberts, who died of cancer aged just 43 in September, was well known around Preston for selling jacket potatoes and traditional Lancashire parched peas.

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Read more: 11-strong Preston Here for Humanity team walk between Preston and Liverpool hospitals

In a challenge devised by Prestonian Stuart Singleton, 34, Keith’s friend of 15 years, raised donations by committing to running, walking or cycling five miles a day five miles a day every day for 26 consecutive days with a group of friends.

The team so far have raised around £2,500 to donate in Keith’s name to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

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A group of friends have been fundraising

The group of 17, which included Keith’s widow Kelly and his 13-year-old daughter Amelia, all successfully completed the task, achieving 135 miles each or 2,295 miles collectively over 615 hours.

Seven of the group, Stuart, Kelly, Rachel Walsh, Lesley Trollope, Damien Farrow, Philip Livesey and Claire Brome, then walked 20.2 miles from Blackpool Tower to Rosemere Cancer Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Read more: Preston man making hand-made baubles to raise money for Rosemere Cancer Foundation

Stuart said: “I am so very proud of everyone who took part. It’s been really tough but the generosity of those who supported us in Keith’s name has made it all worthwhile.

“I would especially like to thank Kelly and Amelia for taking part along with another of our number Lucas Worswick, who is just 16-years-old and whose grandad has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

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“My 10-year-old daughter Maya also helped by accompanying me on some of my walks around Preston Docks as I was changing jobs from night shifts as an adult support worker to days in the classroom. The crossover meant I was working day and night for a time with just an hour at teatime to spare.”

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Popular Keith was a Preston city centre fixture for many years. He sold jacket potatoes and traditional Lancashire parched peas from a Guild Tram food cart outside of the Harris Museum, amassing hundreds of loyal customers.

Proud Preston. This, and many stories like it, show how the people of Preston are making a difference. Our Proud Preston section showcases all the charitable, kind, uplifting and great things about our city and the people who live here. #ProudPreston is alive and well, and there’s much to celebrate and be proud of, despite the challenging times we all face.

Read more: Latest news and updates from Blog Preston

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