IT IS an onerous task, running a tombola stall at a busy summer fair.
Ask Eileen Goffin – she has been doing it for the past 12 years at one of the city's most successful summer fairs.
Now, as she prepares to step down as chairman of Dove House, Eileen is handing over the reins of the tombola stall to enjoy the fair for the first time.
"This is my last summer fair as chairman and I've decided this year, I'm going to go and enjoy is as a visitor," she said.
"In all these years, I've never watched It's A Knockout because I just never had the time to go.
"It's so busy on the tombola stall because, no matter what time of the day, there is always a queue. Sometimes, we don't even get time to go for a drink. So this year, I'm going to see it for myself."
More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the major fundraising event on Saturday for the hospice, which cares for the sick and dying.
Expected to raise £6.5m each year to fund its own work, the hospice in Chamberlain Road, east Hull, relies on the summer fair to provide a much-needed boost to its income.
Families will be entertained by the It's A Knockout event in the hospice grounds, where staff from companies across East Yorkshire will slug it out against one another.
There will be a barbecue, a cake stall, crafts, a variety of fairground games and a tombola at the fair, which will run from 11am to 4pm.
More than 1,500 people attended the fair last year, with £20,000 being raised through the fair and It's A Knockout to fund the charity's work.
The tombola raises about £800 each year towards the total and it is non-stop, with people queuing from the start of the fair to see if they can pick out a winning ticket.
And, always prepared, Eileen has a hidden stash of presents set aside to comfort any child who becomes upset when they do not win.
Eileen, who steps down as chairman of the board of trustees in November, said: "I've enjoyed every minute of my time as chairman and as a volunteer for 23 years.
"Even now, after all these years, I still pinch myself when I walk into the hospice.
That feeling has never left me. I love the cause and so many people out there need help and support because they don't know where to go."
While she intends to continue working at the hospice as a volunteer and as a trustee, Eileen says attending this weekend's summer fair will mark a new chapter in her life.
"The summer fair started as a small affair years ago and it has built itself up," she said.
"It's now quite an event on the city calendar and I hope people will turn out to support us again this year."
Amanda Ashburner, fundraising co-ordinator, said: "All of the proceeds contribute directly to Dove House Hospice and that means we can continue to provide specialist care for adults in Hull and the East Riding, whether that's providing day therapy, respite care for people and their families or a stay in the inpatient unit.
"More than 1,500 people came last year, so we're hoping to have more this year."
The hospice is only funded for 42 days a year and relies on donations from the public and businesses to continue caring for patients.
