Investiture Stories: Lynne McNicoll receives her OBE

Lynne McNicoll first began fundraising at the age of 49, and within the next five years raised over £650,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust. In 2010 she started her own charity, It's Good 2 Give, to support young cancer patients and their families. In 2015 Lynne received her OBE from The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

What inspired you to start It's Good 2 Give?

For my fiftieth birthday I was challenged to raise £1000 for every year of my life, and I managed to raise £54,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust. I realised I should have been fundraising all my life. It was a real life-changer for me to meet young people with cancer and hear their stories. There's so much more to cancer than meets the eye, and children should not have to go through this kind of illness or endure the side effects of treatment. I wanted to support not only the young people but their entire families as well.

What have you done that you are most proud of?

It's Good 2 Give has kindness at its core, and the vast majority of our support comes from community fundraising. I'm so proud that we have brought the community together to work together and help other members of the community through the charity.

This honour is for everyone I've helped and also for everyone who has helped me

What does it mean to you to receive this honour?

It means a great deal to me for my ten years of work to be recognised in this way. This honour is for everyone I've helped and also for everyone who has helped me.

What did you speak to The Prince of Wales about?

The Prince told me how he understood how difficult is to raise money and how what we have done is a real achievement. I invited him to visit our Ripple Retreat when it opens later next year!

What's next for you now?

We are hoping to have our Ripple Retreat finished by the summer. It's a very special space on the shores of Loch Venachar for young people either suffering or recovering from cancer and their families to spend time together. I've been overwhelmed by the amazing donations we have had for the project from a huge number of local businesses.

The charity is also going to be featured on The Great British Menu in the summer!

To find out more about Lynne and her work with It's Good 2 Give, visit www.itsgood2give.co.uk