Sisters set up eBay Westlife auction for scanner funds
1:39pm Thursday 29th June 2006 in News By Helen Thomas
Sisters Nicola, right, and Vanessa have set up a chance to meet popstars Westlife, above left
FANS of boy band Westlife have been given the chance to bid to meet their idols while raising money for charity.
Sisters Nicola Noble, 44, of Warminster, and Vanessa Kyte, 41, of Rudge, have organised an auction on eBay to raise money for the Forever Friends Appeal, which aims to generate £800,000 for a new CT scanner for the Royal United Hospital, Bath.
It is the latest in a long line of fundraising events organised by the sisters since Mrs Kyte was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
Last year she was diagnosed with secondary brain tumours spurring her sister to create fundraising operation Pink Positive.
Their last fundraising event was an 85-mile week-long walk around the RUH catchment area, which raised £25,000 for the appeal.
Mrs Noble said: "Vanessa and I sit down and throw some ideas around for fundraising things. We knew Forever Friends had arranged a Westlife concert and thought they'd appeal to our generation.
"We talked about it and came up with the idea of a meet and greet with them. "The organisers Live Nation spoke to them and they came up trumps so two lucky people will get to meet Westlife before the show. "We both enjoy their music and as we were finishing the 85-mile walk in Bath their song You Raise Me Up was playing which is very apt."
Mrs Kyte is due to go back into hospital next week for surgery on two brain tumours. She has also recently found out she has another tumour in her throat. Mrs Noble said: "She is as positive as always and is fighting back and will be at the concert in July. It's all about making a negative into a positive, which we are determined to do. She has so much zest for life."
The concert will be held on July 16 at The Rec, in Bath, as part of a series of Summer Nights Open Air charity concerts. Mrs Kyte said: "I would like to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Westlife, their management and concert organisers, Live Nation, for making this amazing experience and fantastic fundraising opportunity possible, in support of such a worthwhile cause."
Other performances to raise money for the appeal will include Elaine Page and Michael Ball on July 15 while Simply Red will perform on July 14 to raise money for Dorothy House.
Tickets for the concerts are available on (0870) 4000688 or at www.summernightsonline.co.uk
- To bid in the Westlife auction visit www.eBay.co.uk by July 7 and enter item number 320000628618 into the search engine.
