WITH summer on the way – and hopefully good weather with it – a cancer charity is encouraging people in Worcestershire to fire up the barbecue and raise some money for a good cause.

As part of this year’s BBQ for Cancer Research UK campaign the charity is hoping people throughout the county and across the country will hold a special fundraising barbecue any time in July, or during a special weekend on Saturday, July 11 and July 12.

The charity’s Worcestershire spokesman Jane Redman said the campaign had been held for the first year last year and had proved a roaring success.

“We want this year to be bigger and better,” she said.

“So we’re calling on supporters to rally their friends, family, work colleagues and neighbours to pick up their barbecue prongs and get involved.

“We know that Worcestershire folk love any excuse to cook up a storm, so there’s no better time to join forces with fellow BBQ’ers right across the UK and turn up the heat on cancer.”

Every day 78 people in the West Midlands are diagnosed with cancer and, although survival rates from the disease have doubled since the 1970s, the charity has said much more needs to be done to eliminate it altogether.

For more information or to sign up for a fundraising pack visit www.cruk.org/BBQ.