Supermarket staff and customers help raise £2 million for cancer care

STAFF and customers of the Somerfield store in Minehead have helped the supermarket firm to raise more than £2 million to improve the lives of people living with cancer.
The total has been raised since Macmillan was voted as Somerfield’s charity partner in March of last year.
The Minehead store, in The Avenue, contributed £1,131, which will be put toward the cost to the charity of employing a head and neck cancer nurse specialist in Somerset.
Somerfield head of press and charity Pete Williams said: “We are very excited to have raised £2 million for Macmillan.
“We set ourselves an ambitious target at the start of the partnership and I am very proud to see us exceed it.”
Macmillan provides practical, emotional, and financial support to people affected by cancer.
The money raised by Somerfield stores will help to fund a range of cancer services throughout the country, providing valuable support in local communities.
It has been collected through fund-raising in-store, sales promotions and gift items such as the Little Book of Treats, and a collection of recipes from supporters and celebrities across the UK.
Somerfield involved all of its 42,000 employees in its fund-raising efforts across its 850-plus network of stores nationwide and hoped also to raise awareness among its 10 million customers of the work and services provided by Macmillan.
Mr Williams said: “From big picnics to sponsored head shaves and cycling challenges, the support we have had for Macmillan has been incredible.
“It has been fantastic to know that every penny raised will help support people living with cancer in local areas.”
Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Ciarán Devane said: “This is a phenomenal achievement and is a testament to the commitment of Somerfield staff and customers to improving lives in the local community.
“We are grateful to everybody involved.”
With more than two million people living with cancer in the UK, the money raised by Somerfield will help Macmillan with its commitment to reach everybody affected by cancer by 2010.