Martial arts master Bruce Lee once said: “long term consistency trumps short term intensity”.

He’d have been more than proud of this very unassuming but very consistent couple from Laindon.

For more than 30 years, come rain or shine, blizzard or drought, Iris Hanson and her husband George have been working to channel their grief into hope - literally one penny at a time.

Whatever the weather the couple have knocked on doors asking for envelope donations, held bucket collections in the street, organised table-top and garage sales at their home as well as holding their hugely popular “all-day breakfast” events.

Why do they do it? Because their son Paul died of cancer in 1988 and when they lost him the couple were so devastated they vowed to turn their sorrow into something positive by raising funds for Cancer Research.

And they have done just that. In fact they have collected about £500,000 for Cancer Research with their fundraising ventures. In their own way they have helped improve cancer survival rates for people across the UK - not through a huge public donation, but pure hard graft over three decades.

Even penny has counted and slow and steady has won the race.

But now, both aged in their late eighties, the couple have decided to call time on their fundraising career and will make their next table-top sale on Saturday, March 28, their very last.

Paul died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1989. He was diagnosed at the age of 26, just a few years after he had married his soulmate Debbie.

Iris said: “Paul was our only son and when we lost him to cancer, we were devastated.

“While he was going through endless bouts of chemotherapy he would say: ‘When I beat this, I’m going to raise money for research into cancer’.

“Sadly he didn’t make it. When he was diagnosed at the age of 26, it was too late and by that time, he was at stage four. He battled on for four years before he died.

“He was a wonderful son, he had just got married. We’re proud to have done this for him, though we think he’d have done a better job than us. He was so dedicated and organised.”

The bread and butter of their fundraising has been the couple’s table- top sales, held inside the garage of their home in Alracks, Laindon, twice a year, at Easter and Christmas.

“A lot of work goes into shopping for the bits to sell and organising everything,” said Iris.

“Probably a lot more work than people think. “Unfortunately, it’s just got a bit much now and we have come to the decision this will be our final one. We will miss it but it will be nice to have a little bit of time to relax a bit.”

For many years Iris and George have been the only two members of the Basildon and Wickford committee for Cancer Research. The charity even named the couple ‘honorary fellows’ for their years of hard work.

Iris added: “It’s been a real team effort. My husband and I work well together. When we have our all-day breakfast events, he does all the cooking and I do the waitressing and cleaning.

“But we wouldn’t have been able to do any of this if it wasn’t for the generous nature of the public in our borough. They are the main reason we have been so successful in making this amazing sum of money.”

Over the past three decades since Paul’s death, cancer rates have improved drastically. In the 1990s some 34 per cent of people survived cancer – today it’s 50 per cent.

“In our own little way we feel like we’ve been helping,” added George.

“As this will be our last table top sale it will be wonderful to see as many people as possible com e along. We always have great support.”

The couple’s final table top sale will take place on Saturday March 28 from 10am-4pm at their garage in Alracks. All sorts of bargains will be on sale and there will be refreshments.