Blood Cancer UK to receive generous gift in will from Snowman author Raymond Briggs
It’s with a great sense of gratitude that we share the news that we’re one of three charities left a gift in the Will of the author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, CBE.
Raymond sadly passed away in 2022. Many will know his classic and much-loved children’s books such as Father Christmas, Fungus the Bogeyman and The Snowman, with many of his works adapted for the screen.
He also wrote graphic novels for adults, like Ethel & Ernest and Time for Lights Out.
His link to our community goes back to the early seventies, when his wife Jean Taprell Clarke, also a talented artist, passed away with leukaemia, a form of blood cancer, in 1973.
Since then, every year Raymond donated to our research until his own death. Now Blood Cancer UK is set to benefit from Briggs’ legacy, alongside the charities Rethink Mental Illness and Parkinson’s UK.
Our CEO, Helen spoke warmly about Raymond’s support at a celebratory event commemorating his life and legacy at Ditchling Village Hall, where family, friends and colleagues gathered.
Raymond’s support will be felt for years to come"
- Helen Rowntree
“Since the 1970s, when Raymond sadly lost his first wife Jean to the blood cancer leukaemia, survival rates have vastly improved. Despite this, blood cancer is still the third largest cancer killer and there’s more work to do. Raymond’s support will mean researchers are able to continue their work to make more breakthroughs, giving people with blood cancer the most precious gift of all, more time with the people they love.”