Lip-smackin’ fund-raisin’ Allyson...

Pucker up! Oldham Athletic players Matt Smith (l) and Glenn Belezika got more than they bargained for when cancer patient Allyson Richardson-Smethurst visited Boundary Park to kick off her fundraising campaign, Kiss 4 Kershaw’s.

An inspirational mum living with cancer is fighting back against the disease by starting a fundraising campaign with a difference.

Allyson Richardson-Smethurst hopes to kiss as many celebrities and heroes as possible in the hope of raising awareness and funds for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, which helped her through a recent tough spell.

She kicked off her “Kiss 4 Kershaw’s” campaign with the help of the Oldham Athletic football players, who gladly puckered up to show their support.

Allyson (37), of Waterhead, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2010, and at one point was given less than 24-hours to live after suffering septicemia and peritonitis.

She made a miraculous recovery, but was dealt a second blow when, in February of this year, her cancer returned.

She knows she won’t recover, but is determined to raise money to help improve the lives of other sufferers.

After spending a week in Dr Kershaw’s, Allyson thought of the imaginative kissing campaign idea as a way to raise much-needed funds.

“People think you go in to hospices and don’t come out. But that’s just not true,” she says. “I went in for a bit of peace and quiet and to spend a week away from worrying about things, with people looking after me all day and all night. Kershaw’s helps people like me, so now I want to give something back.”

Allyson started her campaign with the help of Dr Kershaw’s appeals manager Lisa Pearson, and Debbie Edwards, the corporate & community fundraiser, who helped organise the event at Boundary Park.

Mum-of-one Allyson got to kiss Latics squad members and manager Paul Dickov to launch her campaign.

On December 15 Allyson will take to the pitch at Latics at half-time during their match against Swindon to kiss someone even more famous — mascot Chaddy the Owl!

Club captain Dean Furman said: “It’s a great campaign and a good bit of fun.” Manager Paul Dickov said: “It’s a fantastic idea. She’ll get a fair few smackers because of it!

Allyson said of the day: “It wasn’t exactly hard work kissing all those attractive men!”