One of South Lakeland's best-known charities is launching a fund-raising lottery to help it meet an ever-increasing demand for its services, reports Michaela Robinson-Tate.

CancerCare (North Lancashire and South Lakeland) provided 12,000 patient sessions during 2001, and demand for its services increases by 10 per cent every year.

It costs £250 per hour to provide support for cancer patients and their families throughout the area.

The charity's trustees say they are always looking at ways to safeguard the charity's future and continue to provide help for the community.

Public affairs co-ordinator Chris Ashby said: "All this help is completely free of charge, which means that we have to rely heavily on the generosity of the local community and they have never let us down.

"The lottery will provide an exciting new way of ensuring that we can continue to provide the high standard of care, locally, that people have come to associate with us."

CancerCare's patron Lady Shuttleworth, who lives at Leck, near Kirkby Lonsdale, became the first person to join the new lottery.

"I think it's a splendid initiative and I'm looking forward to taking part," she

said.

"There's tremendous support here for CancerCare.

Regrettably, more and more people seem to be suffering from it and more and more support is going to be needed."

The lottery will cost £1 per week, and will have a first prize of £500, plus five prizes of £20 and ten of £5 each week.

The first draw will take place on July 14, and all the money raised will be used to help the community.

Anyone who would like to join the lottery can do so by bank standing order or by cheque/postal order payable to CancerCare lottery (minimum £8 to cover the first eight draws, or £13 quarterly, £26 half-yearly or £52 annually).

These should be sent to: CancerCare Lottery, PO Box 653, Lancaster LA2 OPR.

For more details, tel 01524-752444.

CancerCare operates from two centres - one in Lancaster at Slynedales and one in Kendal, at the Lakes Centre on Blackhall Road.