Independent on Sunday's Happy List 2015: Margaret Thrush, Fund-raiser

(MacMillan Nurses c/o David Nicholson)

Margaret Thrush from Mumbles has been rattling a charity collection bucket under the noses of pub-goers in South Wales for an astonishing 60 years.

Sombrero-clad and always smiling, Margaret has become an iconic part of the Swansea nightlife, encouraging revellers to donate just a coin or two – much less than a pint of beer – for good causes.

Since starting out as a fundraiser in the 1950s, Margaret has raised a sum which is now heading towards £2m. For the last seven years she has been collecting on behalf of Macmillan Cancer Support, an organisation that provides help for patients and the families of those suffering with the disease, recently raising more than £150,000.

Tirelessly committed, Margaret’s fund-raising earned her an MBE, and she received many nominations for a lace on the Independent on Sunday’s Happy List.

One person who nominated her says: “You always see Margaret on a night out, and she persuades everyone in the pub to give at least a pound. She is a proud part of Swansea life.”

www.macmillan.org.uk