Raffrey Farmer Dee Heron, a volunteer with the Moneyreagh & District Action Cancer Fundraising Group for over 30 years, is set to hold a ewe breeding lamb auction at the Saintfield Livestock Mart on Friday 4th September and is calling upon the local farming community for its support.
Dee Heron, an Action Cancer Skin Cancer Ambassador, is organising the auction along with his family, and hopes it will be as successful as previous years. “I am delighted to be organising another auction, with the support of auctioneer Geoffrey Murphy and Saintfield Mart. All money raised stays in Northern Ireland and goes towards the charity’s cancer support services. However, we can’t hold an auction without the livestock, so I am appealing to any farmers, local or otherwise, to consider donating to the event”.
One of Action Cancer’s key messages is that early detection can save lives and Dee knows first-hand how important this is. He said: “I have worked outdoors all my life and when I was a young lad making hay at 10 years old, it was shirts off running around the field thinking it was great! We didn’t have any sun cream on and there was no protection. I was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008 after a mole on my spine looked suspicious. Thankfully, it was caught early, and I’m now cancer-free. I would encourage anyone who works outdoors to ensure they protect themselves in the sun, keep covered up and wear sun cream. If you have any moles, keep a close eye on them and if there are any noticeable changes, contact your GP because early detection saves lives.”
Mark Irwin-Watson, Community Fundraising Executive for Action Cancer, said: “The auction in 2024 raised an incredible £18,215 but to raise £29,600 in 2025 was just unbelievable. As always, we are truly indebted to Dee, staff at Saintfield Livestock Mart, and everyone who made donations and bid on the animals. We could never have anticipated the event raising such a significant amount of money and are truly grateful to all involved.”
All of the money raised from the livestock auction will enable Action Cancer to continue to provide its prevention, detection and support services to local people.
The Big Bus visits up to 175 locations throughout Northern Ireland each year, including rural areas and areas of high deprivation where health inequalities are greatest. Breast cancer screening and health checks are offered on board the vehicle, which is supported by SuperValu and Centra.
Action Cancer has been at the heart of cancer prevention, detection and support for people in Northern Ireland for over five decades. The services that Action Cancer provides are free to the user but come at a cost to the charity of £4 million every year. These services include an early detection breast screening clinic, therapeutic services for people living with a cancer diagnosis, as well as people supporting a loved one with a diagnosis and a range of health improvement services. These can be accessed from Action Cancer House in Belfast or from 15 regional locations and also on board the Big Bus.
Action Cancer Community Fundraising Executive, Mark Irwin-Watson added: “The Moneyreagh & District Group was formed in 1978, three years after Action Cancer was established, and has been raising money for the charity ever since. The volunteers dedicate a tremendous amount of time and effort fundraising for the charity and have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds over the years. We are beyond grateful to Dee and Valerie Heron and everyone involved with the Moneyreagh & District Action Cancer Fundraising Group. Action Cancer receives no regular government funding, so support like this is vital to our work and ensures we can deliver our range of cancer prevention, detection and support services.”
If you would like to get involved, please contact Dee Heron on 07803 906978 or email valerieheron@live.co.uk
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