Last week saw the culmination of a secret plan to honour our co-founder and director Liz Milne for her 73rd birthday, as she continues to battle against ovarian cancer.
To show just what Liz means to everyone, the entire Phoenix Theatre cast and members of the wider Phoenix Family came together to secure her a seat plaque at His Majesty’s Theatre, courtesy of Aberdeen Performing Arts.
We reached our fundraising target in under 24 hours and, as the money kept coming in, we decided anything extra would go to the extremely deserving charity Friends of ANCHOR, who have provided excellent support to Liz throughout her treatment.
That “anything extra” amounted to a stunning donation of £3,158, revealed at a surprise cheque handover on the day of her birthday.
The generosity and messages of love people sent in about Liz brought many a tear to the eye.
She is especially touched that others will benefit from the money raised in her name, as Friends of ANCHOR continue their important work.
Liz was then truly humbled to sit in the seat emblazoned with her name at HMT, an honour that comes five years after she received a British Empire Medal for services to theatre and the arts in the Queen’s Birthday 2019 Honours List.
People may not see all Liz has done behind-the-scenes over the decades, but her impact on people’s lives is undeniable. And, as all the messages in her giant birthday cards showed, the loving feelings towards her will last forever.