IT IS three years since sisters Sylvia Abbott and Janet Prendergast died from cancer within months of one another.Now their families, who are still devastated by their losses, are holding a fundraising Golf Day to put something back into cancer care in the county.

IT IS three years since sisters Sylvia Abbott and Janet Prendergast died from cancer within months of one another.

Now their families, who are still devastated by their losses, are holding a fundraising Golf Day to put something back into cancer care in the county.

All the money raised will help out in our bid to raise £100,000 to add to the funds to build a cancer education and information centre at Ipswich Hospital.

We joined forces with Cancer Campaign in Suffolk to launch the Raise the Roof Campaign.

CCIS have been fundraising since 1998 to raise the £300,000 needed to build the centre. They had raised around £200,000 and the final £100,000 will put the roof on the building.

For the Abbott and Prendergast families, if this centre had been available it could have helped them to know more about their loved ones' conditions -and would have been able to answer all the questions they had in their own time.

Sylvia Abbott from Stowupland was 60 when she died after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which attacks the blood and bones.

Just a few months later, her sister Janet Prendergast died after a battle against ovarian cancer, aged just 58.

It was a terrible time for both families and the women's two sons, Stuart Abbott and Shaun Prendergast, decided that they had to do something in their memories to try and prevent other families having to go through the same thing.

They have done a number of Golf Days since their mothers' deaths and have raised thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK, but this year decided they wanted to give to a Suffolk charity.

Mr Abbott, 36 from Temple Road, Stowmarket said: "It would have been nice to have a centre like that.

"When you are in the hospital you are asking the nurses all the questions that you think you need to ask, but you can never think of all of them while you are there.

"It would have been nice to talk to someone in layman's terms and in your own time."

Rachel Prendergast is Janet Prendergast's daughter-in-law. She also feels that the centre would have been beneficial to them.

She said: "I think, looking back that Shaun would have appreciated someone to talk to. We heard about this and I that time we probably did need something like that."

Now they are hoping to raise as much money as they can through the golf day to help out other people in their position.

n. The Sylvia Abbott and Janet Prendergast Memorial Trophies Charity Golf Day is being held at Cretingham Golf Club on Friday July 25.

Teams of four people cost £120 per team for 36 holes of golf throughout the day with lunch provided. A whole day of golf is planned with a barbecue, prize givings, and raffle for golfers, family and friends.

They are also looking for sponsorship of each of the 18 holes at £150 per hole.

To enter a team or help with sponsorship please contact 01449 615489 or 01449 675781.

WEBLINK: www.cancercampaigninsuffolk.co.uk