Action Cancer is calling upon its supporters in Lisburn City and the surrounding area, to take part in its ‘Big Christmas Bucket Collection’ on Saturday the 7th of December and help make it a ‘Great Big Festive Success’.
The fundraising collection will take place in city centre from 10am until 4pm and Action Cancer is appealing to individuals, families, friends or work colleagues from the area to volunteer a couple of hours to help raise much needed funds for the charity’s range of prevention, detection and support services.
Taking part this year is Ballinderry woman, Pamela Brady, who knows only too well the importance of Action Cancer’s Breast Screening Service and early detection.
Pamela said: “I believe that Action Cancer saved my life by detecting my cancer at an early and treatable stage. I was 40 years old when I was diagnosed. My Consultant Radiologist told me that if it had not been for Action Cancer detecting my breast cancer early, I may not have made it to 50 - the age that the NHS routine screening kicks in. Had I survived to this point, I could have been facing a terminal diagnosis. My message is clear - get checked out and book your appointment today. Early detection saves lives. By choosing to gift your time and pick up a bucket in Lisburn on 7th December you will be helping to save lives, just like mine, by raising money for the charity’s unique breast screening service”.
Action Cancer has been at the heart of cancer prevention, detection and support for people in Northern Ireland for over 50 years. The services that Action Cancer provide are unique and free to the user but come at a cost to the charity of £4 million every year. These services include an early detection breast screening clinic, therapeutic services for people living with a cancer diagnosis as well as people supporting a loved one with a diagnosis and a range of health improvement services. These can be accessed from Action Cancer House in Belfast or from 13 regional locations and on board the Big Bus, supported by SuperValu and Centra which travels to over 200 locations each year.
Mark Irwin-Watson, Action Cancer’s Community Groups Executive said, “We are appealing to as many people as possible from Lisburn to support Action Cancer’s Big Christmas Bucket Collection on Sat 7th December. We do not receive any regular funding from government and so rely heavily on fundraising from the general public and local businesses to deliver our life-saving services. That is why events like ‘The Great Big Christmas Collection’ are so vital to the work we do”. Our support services only exist because of public fundraising and so by donating just a couple of hours you will make a positive difference to the lives of local people in the area and could quite possibly save a life”
To take part in The Great Big Christmas Bucket Collection please contact Mark Irwin-Watson on 028 9080 3344 or email mirwin-watson@actioncancer.org.