A GROUP of dedicated fundraisers from Evesham are celebrating how much they have raised since first setting up and thanking everyone for supporting them.

Since 2001 Macmillan Cancer Support’s Vale of Evesham Fundraising Group have co-ordinated activities across the Vale to raise essential services to help those living with cancer.

The group have raised £171,872 from donations from the public, collections held at supermarkets in Evesham and flagship events such as the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, which the group hold in Offenham on the last Saturday in September each year.

With the solid support the community offers to the group, £1,500 is raised from coffee, cake and table sales in a morning alone.

All in all the group has raised more than £158,159, which could pay for a Macmillan nurse for three years and more than £150,000, which could pay for a new palliative care family suite in a community hospital.

The Vale of Evesham Group have kicked off their fundraising this year with a series of Macmillan Winter Warmers.

Pauline Smith, Chairperson for the Macmillan Vale of Evesham Group, said: "As a group of local people, we wanted to support Macmillan Cancer Support through our fundraising because we all know someone living with cancer and we wanted to help.

"All of these support people we know and love living in our local communities, Macmillan’s Community Nursing Team, who work in partnership with Evesham Community Hospital, is just one of those valuable services we will be supporting for those that really need help and guidance at such a difficult time."