CANCER CHARITY CELEBRATES CENTENARY

This year, sees a charity celebrating 100 years of supporting people affected by  cancer.

          In 1911, a young man named Douglas Macmillan watched his father die of cancer. Seeing his father's pain moved Douglas so much that he set up the charity known today as Macmillan Cancer Support.

          Local fundraising manager for Pickering, Sally Millington, explains more, ‘Douglas didn’t want other people to have to go through the same pain as his father. He wanted advice and  information to be provided to all people with cancer, homes for patients at low or no cost, and voluntary nurses to attend to patients in their own homes. Today much of Douglas' legacy lives on. We are still a source of support for people living with cancer today and we are a force for improving cancer care.

          Over the past 100 years, we have achieved many great things and helped many people in the local area affected by cancer which we want the people of Pickering to celebrate with us and help to ensure that we can continue to offer our services and support over the next 100 years.

You can get involved by signing up for an event or organizing your own. Whatever you do, you'll make a real difference to people living with cancer. We are here to support you with your fundraising and we’ve loads of exciting and fun ideas if you are struggling to think of one of your own. We couldn't provide our vital services without the people who support us.

          Maybe you could donate some time and help by volunteering; there are always opportunities either in the local office, at home or in the community.

          Thank you so much to everyone who has helped to support us. It’s only thanks to the generosity of people raising funds for us that means that Macmillan has been able to help so many people over the last 100 years. We want to be able to help people over the next 100 years and beyond, and for this we need help. There are some simple ideas…

1.       Displaying a collection box at reception or in staff areas, it’s an easy way to raise at least £25 which is the cost of funding a Macmillan Nurse for one hour.

2.       Holding a raffle or auction could raise over £100. That could pay for a Macmillan grant which could buy fresh bedding for a person with cancer who is dealing with nausea, night sweats or incontinence because of their treatment.

3.       Take part in one of our events, Longest Day Golf Challenge, Yorkshire 3 peaks walk, Humber Bridge Walk, or York 10k run, this could easily raise £500 in sponsorship. This  could  pay  for  an equipment grant for a Macmillan   professional, enabling them to buy specialist items to make things easier for their patients during such a difficult time.

4.       Join us and celebrate our centenary in 2011 and raise £1,000 or more by organizing your own event! Activities such as a sponsored bike ride, virtual swim of the channel, fancy dress tea party, fundraising ball, or sporting event, all of  which we can support you with, will help to ensure that we are able to support people affected by cancer over the next 100 years.

          It really is a significant birthday for us, and we would love people to help us make it a truly memorable year. To find out more, please visit: www.macmillan.org.uk  or contact Sally  smillington@macmillan.org.uk