Champion Norfolk fundraiser hits the �150,000 mark

For more than 15 years Bill Bradley, now 85, has spent much of his time rattling a bucket for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust outside Norfolk supermarkets and other stores.

He started his collections when his granddaughter Natalie, now 21, was diagnosed with the incurable disease and he has become a familiar face to shoppers across the county.

Mr Bradley, of Furze Road, Thorpe St Andrew, said he was delighted to have reached �150,000 and that he wanted to thank everybody who has helped him raise the sum.

He said: 'I have really enjoyed doing it, knowing the money is going to a good cause. I am out nearly every weekend and I throughly enjoy going out because the local people who donate to me and the managers of the stores all look after me ever so well.

'I would like to thank all the people who have donated to me and the managers who have allowed me to go to their stores and fundraise.'

Mr Bradley, who is married to Joan and has three sons, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, originally set himself the target of raising �100,000 in 10 years.

Having smashed that total quite some time ago, he is now determined to carry on raising as much money as he can.

'I haven't finished yet. I am just going to keep going and going,' he said.

'I will fundraise for as long as I can. I do all my fundraising for my granddaughter and all the other children who suffer from cystic fibrosis. All the money goes to research.'

He said his granddaughter Natalie is currently studying dance at University Campus Suffolk and teaches dance at Anglia Region Theatre School.

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust funds research to treat and cure cystic fibrosis, a condition which affects vital organs by clogging them with mucus and making it difficult to breathe and digest food. The charity aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and support for people with cystic fibrosis.

This weekend Mr Bradley will be fundraising at The Range, in Costessey.