A grateful patient who received support during his cancer treatment has presented funds to two charities who also supported his late wife.

John Boyd, 80, of Tavistock, presented the Mustard Tree and partner charity garden therapy programme Blooming Well with £1,260 and £1,100 respectively at the town’s West Devon Club last week.

He and other club members have held coffee and cake mornings, raffles and taken donations, while a bar collecting box has added to the total.

John’s wife Gill died of cancer and John was treated for lung cancer after two occurrences, one which led to a collapsed lung. He is now in remission after surgery and treatment. The illness, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and interventions have has left him weaker, needing to occasionally use a mobility scooter and having to give up his hobby of fishing.

John said: “I miss Gill such a lot, even after all this time, just like other widowers who I meet. It was very sad. However, she was looked after so well thanks to the Mustard Tree and Blooming Well. The Mustard Tree helped by putting us in touch with several organisations that were very important like St Luke’s Hospice and Macmillan Nurses and Marie Curie. We were provided with nurses and carers to take the pressure off, especially when Gill was ill. Both the charities were very supportive and were just what we needed at very stressful times.”

The couple were married in Horrabridge (where Gill was brought up) and previously lived in Plymouth. Gill loved knitting and worked at Tesco in Plymouth for many years and John is a retired supervisor for Remploy (providing employment for disabled people).

He added: “I really wanted to show how grateful we both were for the treatment, care and support we received with the backing of the Mustard Tree. So with the help of lots of other members here we raised a really good amount to help others who are gong through the same situations.”

Annie Charles, who volunteers for Mustard Tree and runs Blooming Well at Sheepstor and newly in Plymouth, received the donation at a ceremony at the West Devon Club.

She said: “John and the club members have done a fantastic job raising such a lot of money. We run a garden for cancer patients and their carers and anyone experiencing the affects of cancer to visit and enjoy some peace and destress seeing the beauty of nature. We now run a small-scale version at Penlee Allotments in Plymouth and would like to offer the same in the Tavistock area because we know Sheepstor is not very accessible for all people who would like to benefit.”

Graham Parkinson, of Gunnislake, who volunteers for the Mustard Tree Centre, accepted the donation at the social club. He said: “John and the members have raised a tremendous amount. which will go towards supporting the health care professionals provide personalised care to patients with the extra services and the outreach at places like Tavistock.”