Dee helps raise £30k at Action Cancer fundraiser

Dee helps raise £30k at Action Cancer fundraiser

8 October 2025

RAFFREY farmer Dee Heron has raised almost £30,000 for Action Cancer.

One of the charity’s skin cancer ambassadors and a volunteer with the Moneyreagh and District Action Cancer Fundraising Group, Dee held another ewe breeding lamb auction at the Saintfield Livestock Mart in August when he raised the phenomenal total.

The charity event proved to be another runaway success raising an amazing £29,600 to date with the money earmarked to help fund Action Cancer’s support services including its skin cancer detection service.

A delighted Dee said the Moneyreagh group is “absolutely thrilled and over the moon” to have raised such an incredible amount for Action Cancer and its life-saving services.

He said additional donations are still coming and is confident that the fundraising total will exceed £30,000. “Last year’s auction brought in over £18,000, which we were already so proud of, but to have surpassed that total this year, and by so much, is nothing short of amazing,” he said.

“The generosity and spirit of the farming community has been simply outstanding. We’ve been blown away by the support, from the incredible donations to the enthusiastic bidding on the day.”

Dee said huge thanks are due to the auctioneer and to Geoffrey Murphy, alongside the brilliant team at Saintfield Livestock Mart “and every single person who played a part in making this such a success”. 

He continued: “We could never have imagined raising such a phenomenal amount. We are so proud at what we’ve all achieved together.”

The Raffrey farmer knows first-hand how important Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service is and having spent most of his life working outdoors, he is sharing his experience to help raise awareness. 

A long-standing volunteer with Action Cancer for 30 years, Dee organised the auction alongside his wife Valerie, son Gavin, grandson Harry (13), and brother-in-law William Strain. 

“I’m delighted that the money raised will go towards Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service,” he said.

“I know how important a service like this is to the farming community. I have worked outdoors all my life and when I was a young lad, making hay at ten years old, it was shirts off running around the field thinking it was great. We didn’t have any sun cream on; there was no protection.”

Dee was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008 after a mole on his spine looked suspicious. Thankfully, it was caught early and he’s now cancer free. 

“I would encourage anyone who works outdoors to protect themselves in the sun. Keep covered up and always wear sun cream,” Dee advises.

Earlier this year, he attended the skin clinic at Action Cancer House in Belfast with a concern, and a basal cell carcinoma was detected on his face. 

“Thankfully, I was able to have it 

removed, which highlights just how 

important this service is. If you have any moles, keep a close eye on them. 

If there are any noticeable changes, contact Action Cancer.”

Northern Ireland has one of the highest incidences of skin cancer in the UK.  Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in Northern Ireland and melanoma, which is associated with moles, is the fifth. 

Action Cancer’s community fundraising executive, Mark Irwin-Watson, said the Moneyreagh and District Group has been supporting the charity since 1978, just three years after it was founded. “Over the decades, their dedication has helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds, an incredible achievement,” he said.

“We’re deeply grateful to Dee, Valerie and family and everyone involved in this hugely successful fundraising event.”

Mark added: “Action Cancer receives no regular government funding, so this kind of community support is absolutely vital in helping us continue to deliver our cancer prevention, detection and support services.”

Action Cancer’s skin cancer detection service offers another pathway for people concerned about a new or changing skin lesion and delivered by a highly qualified and experienced nursing specialist team, the service offers a two-stage process. 

Clients will first be assessed during a virtual appointment by a skin cancer specialist nurse. If a further assessment is needed, then a face-to-face appointment is offered on board an upcoming visit by the Big Bus – supported by SuperValu and Centra – which visits all five health trust areas across Northern Ireland twice every four weeks, or at Action Cancer House in Belfast.

The Big Bus visits up to 175 locations throughout Northern Ireland each year including rural areas and areas of high deprivation where health inequalities are greatest. 

As well as the skin cancer detection service, breast cancer screening and health checks are also offered on board. 

Action Cancer has been at the heart of cancer prevention, detection and support for people in Northern Ireland for the past 50 years. 

The services that Action Cancer provide are free to the user but come at a cost to the charity of £4m every year. 

These services include an early detection breast screening clinic, therapeutic services for people living with a cancer diagnosis, as well as people supporting a loved one with a diagnosis and a range of health improvement services. These can be accessed from Action Cancer House in Belfast or from 14 regional locations and on board the Big Bus.