A COUPLE have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a golden gift to a cancer charity to say thank you for all its help.

Gordon and Jean Cornthwaite from Baxenden marked their landmark day by asking for guests to give gifts and donations to Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s 20 Years Anniversary Appeal.

The couple decided to donate to the charity as Mrs Cornthwaite has twice been a patient there after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 68-year-old said: “I am a cancer survivor and supporting the cancer centre’s work makes sense to us as when you’ve been married for 50 years, you have everything you really need.

“We just thought it would be a good way to give something back, it’s a great way to say thank you, and every little helps.”

More than 130 family and friends donated alongside local businesses and raised £3,250 for the appeal.

Mrs Cornthwaite worked as a welfare advisor and business manager for Age Concern Hyndburn before retiring while her husband ran his own plant hire and groundworks business.

The couple have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

Mrs Cornthwaite said: “You never think you’re going to get there when you start off at 18-years-old.

“There are no secrets to a long and happy marriage.

“It’s down to being lucky, lucky to have met the right person, and also perseverance.

"You go through thick and thin together and come out the other side.”

The couple met at a dance at Accrington Conservative Club before marrying at St Peter’s Church in Haslingden when Mr Cornthwaite was 21 and his bride was 18.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s 20 Years Anniversary Appeal has a £1.5million target to fund ground-breaking projects at Rosemere Cancer centre in Preston.

These include brining advanced robotic surgical systems to the centre and funding a state-of-the-art research facility.