A COUPLE who have dedicated 27 years of their lives raising more than £100,000 for charity say they did it for their daughter.

Angela and Jim Lodge, of Hinton St George, were each presented with a Long Service Award in recognition of their dedication and hard work at the Diabetes UK South West Inspire Awards, held at the Castle Hotel, Taunton, on June 7.

The award is given to those who have devoted 20 years or more to volunteering for Diabetes UK.

The couple, whose daughter has Type 1 diabetes, first started raising money for the charity in 1991, and have raised more than £100,000.

Angela said: “We initially started raising money for Diabetes UK because we wanted to create a better future for our daughter and other people with diabetes.

"She is now a happy, healthy adult working as an independent speech and language therapist in Somerset and Dorset.

"She has always been our inspiration to continue supporting this extremely worthwhile charity.”

Angela started out by getting permission to collect door-to-door in her village and the surrounding villages during Diabetes Week.

She also stood in local shopping precincts collecting, which opened up many conversations with members of the public who had their own personal connections with diabetes.

She invited many of these people to join her and went on to co-ordinate teams of volunteers across south Somerset, as well as placing collection tins in shops and pubs in Chard, Yeovil, Crewkerne, Street, South Petherton and many smaller country communities.

Angela and Jim have also embarked on a number of imaginative fundraising activities. For example, Angela organised a fashion show in a department store in Yeovil.

Jim, a retired financial adviser, showed himself to be particularly intrepid, impressing and inspiring his two young granddaughters with his fundraising adventures.

These included a wing walk on a Second World War Steerman plane, driving a Formula 1 car at Mallory Park, a zip wire over a river and flying a Tiger Moth from Gloucester Airfield.

“I feel very fortunate to have had so much fun whilst fundraising for such a worthy cause and raising awareness along the way," he said.

"It’s wonderful to receive an award for doing the things I love.”

Annika Palmer, Diabetes UK south west regional head, said: “The year Angela and Jim started volunteering, the Hubble space telescope was launched and John Major had been prime minister for a year. That gives you some idea of just how long this incredible couple have been giving their time and energy to Diabetes UK.

"It is our honour to present them with the Long Service Award.

“Through our Inspire Awards we thank our hard-working volunteers, like Angela and Jim, for their contribution and shine a light on the positive difference they make to the lives of people living with diabetes.”

To find out more about fundraising for Diabetes UK, visit www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/raising_funds, email south.west@diabetes.org, or call 01823 448260.