Cancer charity marks 40 years

STALWARTS of the Chadderton and Oldham Cancer Research Campaign will celebrate 40 years since it was founded at a special lunch at the weekend.

There will be plenty of laughs as the guest speaker is Graham Walker, founder member of the comedy group The Grumbleweeds.

He set up the group in 1962 in Yorkshire and it continues to tour, appearing all over the world.

There will also be a short address by Richard Taylor, the charity’s executive director of fundraising and supporter marketing, and the MC is Dr Kevin Moore, former medical director at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice.

Mr Taylor will also present long service awards at the lunch, which will be held at the Norton Grange Hotel, Rochdale, on Sunday. Among the guests will be founder member Joan Hobson, who was chairman for 29 years, Carole Owen, a member for 37 years, and Alan Brereton, 36 years — all still serving members.

The Chadderton and Oldham Committee was formed in 1969 by a small group of people at St Luke’s Church, Chadderton.

It has raised £476,000 so far and the aim is to make it half a million in 2009.

The members support the work of Professor Tim Illidge at the Christie Hospital, Manchester, who is developing treatments that specifically target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

During the past 40 years, three committee members have received the Flame of Hope awards, which are honorary fellowships of the charity, and fundraising has ranged from whist drives and jumble sales to fancy dress collections, sponsored swims and line dancing.

While their work has a serious cause, they have plenty of fun, said Mrs Hobson: “On a visit to a presentation event at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Westminster, London, we enjoyed the day and had great fun returning on the train getting the whole carriage to play ‘I spy’, and a group of young people said it was the best train journey they had ever had.”