THE Cotehill community has come together to help raise over £1,000 for charity and mark the 70th birthday of popular local Steve Foster who is currently fighting cancer. 

The celebrations to make Steve's milestone birthday took place on Saturday, July 27, a day after the Cotehill native finished an intensive six-week course of chemotherapy as he continues to battle throat cancer. 

The celebrations, which were organised by Steve's daughter Josie, also included performances from local bands, including Steve favourties's The Mustangz Trio. 

To make the party possible, Josie also enlisted the help of The Greyhound Inn, Cotehill, whose owners Julie and Alistair Musgrave pledged to donate all proceeds from the event to a charity of Steve's choosing. 

Josie revealed that Steve has not decided which charity he would like to donate the nearly £1,250 that was raised at the event, but said that her father would like to give it to a local cause. 

Speaking after the celebrations, Josie was on hand to thank everyone who helped make the event possible.

She said: "It was lovely. 

"We started planning the party before my dad got poorly and he had to start his treatment.

"Julie from the pub has been brilliant after I approached her for help with organising the event and she could not have been more helpful if she tried her partner Alistair was also amazing, he helped me put up all the marquis.

"Everybody from the pub and all of the locals have been such a massive help and I take my dad up to the pub whenever he feels up to it for some socialising.

"Dad has not decided where he wants to donate the money we raised yet but wants to keep the money local and is thinking along the lines of giving back to the cancer centre in Carlisle who have looked after him so well."

Julie from The Greyhound Inn was also on hand to express her delight at being able to be a part of making Steve's birthday celebrations special whilst also raising money for charity.

She said: "It was so lovely, especially because of what Steve has been through.

"He is one of our good friends and customers and it was just so good to do it. 

"We are so pleased with the amount of money we have raised and people were so generous.

"We have had this pub for eight years and it is a bit of a community hub and if there is every anything someone needs done we will always step in and help in whatever way we can."