IT WAS the celebration of a much loved man’s life that raised almost £2,500 for a Southampton cancer charity.

Dozens of golfers of all abilities came together to celebrate the life of Hampshire DJ Richard ‘RJ’ Williams, who died from leukaemia related causes in 2010, in a golf day organised by his school friend, Andy Piller.

Hosted by East Horton Golf Club, the day included presentations, a charity auction and an evening of entertainment at the Brewery Bar in Botley.

It raised £2,485 for Leukaemia Busters and brought the total raised by this event over the past five years to more than £15,000.

Firefighter Andy met RJ at Bitterne Park Secondary School and has organised the event, which is always attended by RJ’s parents, Lynne and Deryck Williams and his brother, Stu, every year since his best friend’s tragic death.

Leukaemia Busters was set up with the aim of finding a cure for leukaemia, which claims thousands of lives each year, and is headed by Dr David and Dr Bee Flavell who lost their son, Simon, to the disease when he was just ten.

Andy will run for Leukaemia Busters in the Virgin Money London Marathon 2016. He will be collecting sponsorship and funds throughout the year as well as training hard to support the local research charity at this international event.

“It has been my lifelong ambition to run in the London Marathon before my 35th birthday,” says Andy. “I have been entering the ballot for the past five years and been unsuccessful so had almost given up.

“Leukaemia Busters have given me the chance to fulfil that ambition and also to generate as much support for them in memory of RJ as possible.”

The public ballot for the 2016 marathon opens on May 4 so if any other local runners wish to get involved they can register online and if successful would be welcomed onto the Leukaemia Busters team to run alongside Andy.