A MAN who raised £50,000 for charity in honour of his father has won a prestigious award.

Alex Hutchings, 39, from Lawn, won the Douglas Macmillan Award at Macmillan Cancer Support’s Volunteers Award conference for his efforts for the organisation, which funds life-saving research into the deadly disease.

The father-of-two was honoured for raising £50,000 through fundraising efforts, many of which centred on his passion for sailing, including building a boat from scratch which he then auctioned.

“It was just amazing. I knew that everything was going well with fundraising, but I didn’t realise just how well and how much it meant to others,” he said.

“I just poured my heart and soul into everything and so did everyone who helped." I didn’t realise how much it meant to others.”

The former regional energy manager was inspired to jump aboard after his father Graham died in 2012.

He said: “We always had hobbies we did together and just before he died we agreed that we would learn to sail together.

"Sadly we never got a chance to do that.

“I saw the wonderful things that this charity does and I just knew I wanted to help them out.”

Alex aims to raise £52,500, which will pay for a Macmillan nurse for one year.

After a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) was donated to him, Alex and his team of 15 volunteers set about reconstructing the vessel in one year, using parts donated by businesses and members of the community.

He said: "Everything I know about boats I picked up off the internet and through the excellent team that I found in the sailing community.

“In the end we built a boat that would’ve been top of its class in the world.”

At the Southampton Boat Show, the RIB sold for £20,500. After his efforts, Alex walked away from his nine-to-five job and now works as a self-employed boat mechanic.

He said: “I just feel that there’s a switch inside of me that wants to do this. I feel I’ve found an outlet to deal with my grief and help me through this."

To support Alex visit justgiving.com/riow

He will embark upon his next fundraising voyage this weekend when he circumnavigates the Isle of Wight with 130 other boats.

“I never thought in three years I could raise this much money," he said.

"Thanks to the sailing community and my team this has been possible."