Blackpool Victoria Hospital cancer patients gifted money from memorial campaign set up for showman Joe Longthorne MBE

Family and friends of the showbusiness legend launched a Go Fund Me campaign following his death last year to help build a lasting tribute to Blackpool's adopted son.

But his former partner and PA Rita Lamey, his sister Ann and family friend Simon Woolston, supported by other family and friends in Hull have now pledged the £880 raised to the Blackpool Victoria Hospital, to help those going through their treatment.

Rita, who also once worked as Joe’s PA and fan club president, said: “This is all about Joe. We initially set up the page to raise funds for a memorial statue to Joe in Hull but then we thought, what would Joe really want?

“He’d say why have a statue for the birds when you can use the money to help people. Joe received his MBE for services to charity and throughout his career had always worked to raise money for cancer charities and charities supporting the hard of hearing.

"Joe was the kind of man who would give you his last penny.”

The money raised through his hometown's campaign will help not only patients of Rosemere Cancer Centre but also those attending cancer units at Rosemere Cancer Centre based at the Royal Preston Hospital, Leeds Royal Infirmary, Manchester Royal Infirmary and the Queen’s Cancer Centre at Castle Hill Hospital in Hull with the total of £4,400 gifted and to be equally divided among them.

With exception of the Hull centre, Joe had been cared for as patient at all of the hospitals, having first been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in 1987.

In 2014, he was diagnosed with mouth cancer. He was 64-years-old when died at his Blackpool home in August 2019.

Rita added: “Joe knew what it was like to have all these necessary but invasive tests and treatments. He knew it was important to ‘feel human’ when going to hospital and that the surroundings in which you are treated have a lot to do with that.

“He knew that pleasant, comfortable surroundings while you’re waiting for your appointment and when you’re being treated are important to how you cope, which is why we think he’d been delighted at what we’re doing.”

Dan Hill, Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s chief officer, said: “We are extremely grateful for this donation. Joe must have been a man of great empathy.

"In recent years, there has been a lot of scientific research published on the positive effects in terms of outcome on treating patients in ‘healing environments’ – something that Joe seems to have been instinctively aware of.

“We have worked and will continue to work to create the best possible surroundings for patients attending the cancer centre in Preston and the other cancer units across our territory.”