VILLAGERS who use Storth's community shop and post office have helped boost a cancer charity by £500.

The village-owned and run business gives its profits to local good causes. This year's award to the Rosemere Cancer Foundation is the fourth the shop has given to the charity since 2016 - giving a grand total of £3,000.

Storth Community Co-operative member Lesley Drummond, who is also a member of Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s Dallam group of supporters, said: “A number of local people have been in treatment for cancer and have become aware of the foundation and its work, so the award is our community’s way of saying thank you.”

Rosemere's south Cumbria and north Lancashire fundraising co-ordinator Julie Hesmondhalgh said: “We are extremely grateful for this donation and the support of the local community.

“We have brought a number of projects to fruition to benefit local cancer patients this year, among them funding a major new bowel cancer trial, supplying a portable ultrasound machine to speed up head and neck cancer diagnosis, and ensuring cancer patients throughout the area have free access to complementary therapies. Our pledge is to continue and grow our workload into the future.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation was nominated for a share of the shop's profits by villager and volunteer shop assistant Alison Charlesworth, former headmistress of Storth CE Primary School, who is also a member of the charity’s Dallam Group.

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world-class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout south Cumbria and Lancashire being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and at another eight hospital cancer units including those at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal, Furness General Hospital in Barrow, and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, research, training and other cancer services and therapies the NHS is unable to afford.