FAMILY and friends of a former magistrate and sensei have raised more than £2,000 for a local cancer charity in his memory.

Shorinji Kempo champion Russell Jenkins was diagnosed with prostate cancer a decade ago, and was cared for by the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital before his death on March 24, aged 63.

His wife, Catherine, said it was thanks to the compassion and support of the unit’s staff in the last weeks of his life that he was able to return home and be with his family in Moordown.

The family, including children Louise, Lisa, Emma, Emily, David, James and Gareth, son-in-law Lee, and grandchildren Crystal and Stephanie, have raised £2,266 for Macmillan Caring Locally.

Mrs Jenkins said: “The support they gave Russ and the whole family was second to none, we couldn’t have asked for more. They helped us make the best of a horrible situation.

“We would like to thank everybody who donated in his memory.”

Mr Jenkins, born and raised in Pokesdown, worked for BT for 32 years. He served at the bench in Bournemouth for more than 20 years, latterly as a specialist family magistrate. He was also charity steward for the Meyrick Lodge Freemasons and practised Bowen therapy.

He ran the Bournemouth Shorinji Kempo Club from 1978 until his death. He achieved his 6th Dan, making him and long-term friend Pete Moore the highest ranking non-Japanese branch masters for the sport in the world.