Marie Curie’s help plea

MARIE Curie Cancer Care could lose hundreds of pounds this December because of a shortage of volunteers in Oldham.

The charity organises supermarket collections around the festive season — raising vital funds to provide one-to-one nursing care for terminally ill people in their homes.

Hannah Taylor, community fund-raiser said: “We have some truly wonderful volunteers in Oldham who give their time to collect each year, but this year we have more places than ever to collect, an even greater need for our care than ever, and not enough volunteers to cover it.

“We’re really lucky in Oldham that the supermarkets have been so generous in offering us dates to collect.

“We want to make sure this is our best year, as 2008 is our 60th anniversary year and we want to go out with a bang this December.”

The charity has five dedicated Marie Curie Nurses in Oldham who will provide over 3,555 hours of care this year.

Miss Taylor added: “We are determined to provide the support and specialist care needed to make the choice to die at home a reality.

“This year we will be providing more care than ever and to do this, we need to raise an extra £5,893 in Oldham.

“By giving us only two hours of your time this Christmas to help collect in a supermarket, you’ll be helping us to reach this goal.

“Christmas is a time for families and our nurses will again be working over the festive period to provide vital care and treatment to people terminally ill with cancer, enabling them to be at home, surrounded by their families and the things they hold most dear.”

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should call the local fund-raising office on 0161-255 2809.