27th July 2017: Staff at Burnley’s Marks and Spencer store told Rosemere Cancer Foundation to get packing!

The charity’s local fundraising co-ordinator Louise Grant was given the order after being invited to the St James’ Street outlet to collect a donation of £8,358.92 raised by store colleagues and customers over the last 12 months for the Rosemere Burnley Chemotherapy Unit Appeal.

To support the appeal, Burnley Marks and Spencer made Rosemere Cancer Foundation its charity of the year back in 2016, holding various bag packing days, collections and raffles to raise its donation. The total also includes £2,171.34 raised through the sale of its 5p carrier bags.

Louise said: “We are extremely grateful to staff and customers of Burnley Marks and Spencer for their very generous support. Not only have the store’s staff put a lot of effort into their fundraising, they have helped raised awareness of us and our work throughout the local area.”

The money will fulfil a pledge the store made at the beginning of 2016 to help Rosemere Cancer Foundation raise £100,000 towards a new chemotherapy unit at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, with hospital managers, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, putting up the same amount to achieve the total needed to finish its build and furnishing.

The appeal hit its target in just 10 months and is a major part of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s plan to invest over £18 million in the Burnley hospital site. The new, more spacious chemotherapy unit will be among the most patient focused and best equipped in the country and is scheduled to open for local cancer patients in November 2017.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation fundraises to bring world class cancer treatment and services to cancer patients throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria via their local hospital and the regional specialist cancer treatment centre, the Rosemere Cancer Centre in Preston. It spends the donations it receives on buying vital equipment and funding research and training that the NHS is unable to fund. It also works to provide free access to complementary therapies for all those going through treatment and to make the surroundings in which treatment is given more patient-friendly. To find out more about its work, including its March launched 20 Years Anniversary Appeal, visit www.rosemere.org.uk