Incredible Sunderland hero who raised £2m for others while doctors gave him a 3% chance of living

An unsung hero has looked back on 21 years of gathering money for Sunderland’s Poppy Appeal, and how he did most of it while fighting cancer.

Vince Harris, now 68, has amassed £2.2 million since he first became the city’s Poppy Appeal organiser in 2005. He did it despite being told by doctors he had a three per cent chance of survival.

And as he reflected on his incredible work, at a time when he plans to stand down from the role, he said: “I am lucky really. I have been blessed by God and by the NHS. I won’t hear a word said against the NHS as they have been fantastic.”

Vince looked back on an incredible 21 years of fundraising which started with £30,000 raised for the Poppy Appeal in his first year. “We had two stalls that year,” he said. “By last year, we had 12 stalls out and collected £100,511.”

In typical modest style, he said much of the success was down to the fantastic team of Poppy Appeal volunteers who have supported him all the way.

He told the Sunderland Echo how he was inspired to get involved with the Poppy Appeal when he was once driving past a war memorial in County Durham and looked at the list of fallen from World War I.

He said: “There were three names from one family and I thought ‘that’s one family which lost three people. If you think of that on a national scale, that’s enormous.”

Vince had only been the Poppy Appeal organiser for three years when he got the news in 2008 that he had cancer.

He said: “They took my pancreas out and it was bad. The prognosis wasn’t good. They told me I had a three per cent chance of survival, but I pulled through.

“Further surgery has followed to various parts of my body including my arms and shoulders. Every two years I get bits chopped out but I am thankful to the man upstairs that I am still here.”

Vince has already had his stomach and pancreas removed. He has had chemotherapy, scans, surgery and has more checks next month as he continues his health battle.

He even fought back from sepsis during his treatment for stomach cancer two years ago, and had to spend a month in hospital.

Yet Vince kept on fighting back and said part of his motivation was the fantastic people he has met on the poppy stands. He added: “Ninety nine per cent of the people who come to the stall are beautiful people, and that makes me think that is it not such a bad world.”

Vince, who is a carpet fitter by trade and a part-time musician, says doctors keep reiterating that he only has a three per cent chance of survival but he still thinks only of the positives. He said: “I have still got my caravan. I have got my motorbike and I have got every musical instrument I ever wanted. I am blessed.

“I am not down about it. I am all right.”