A VALE company has helped raise £1,000 for charity by holding a Britain's Big Breakfast fundraiser.

Employees at Walsh's Mushrooms, in Evesham's Vale Park, chose Cancer Research UK as a charity they wanted to help because so many people knew someone who had been affected by the disease.

The company has also supported the Growers United FC football match who raise fund for cancer research.

Staff member Karen Howard, herself a cancer survivor, has been involved with the Evesham Relay For Life.

She had a mastectomy is 2008 after being diagnosed with DCIS - ductal carcinoma in situ. But in 2011 was diagnosed with cancer in the same breast. "I went on to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and then a full course of Herceptin as my cancer was HR2+. I have made a good recovery and without the research and Herceptin being made available to all breast cancer sufferers that need it my story may have been completely different," she said.

Padraic O’ Leary, managing director of Walsh’s Mushrooms said that he was proud of the way the entire team in Evesham got behind the big breakfast initiative and was only too happy for the company to support the team in raising funds for such a worthy cause.

The company matched what was raised and local transport company AIM Logistics donated £230 to being the total to £1,000.

Maria Parker, local fundraising manger at Cancer Research UK said: “We have made so much progress in the fight against this devastating disease, but it’s not just technology or knowledge that we need to win the battle to beat cancer; it’s funding and what we do right now that will make a difference to generations in the future.”