GRATEFUL thanks have been issued to the local community for helping raise a fantastic £28,000 in a year for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The Poole Fundraising Group for the charity is celebrating its second successful year with a total of £28,117 raised, announced at the annual meeting by treasurer Richard Ayres.

The group was launched by volunteers at the Mayor’s Parlour in January 2013 to raise funds and awareness so that the 85 Marie Curie nurses working across Dorset can continue to provide free care to more than 800 people with terminal illnesses each year.

The volunteers achieved their total in several ways including supporting Marie Curie’s major fundraising campaigns such as the Great Daffodil Appeal and Blooming Great Tea Party and by organising their own fundraising events and charity collections.

“The aim of our Poole Fund-raising Group is to make a huge difference to the local community by helping to raise the vital funds needed to support local Marie Curie Nurses who provide free care to patients, in patients own homes, as they cope with terminal illness,” said chairman Val Sawdy.

“We are delighted with our contribution this year of over £28,000 which takes our fundraising total to £45,650 during our two years as a fundraising group.

“We would like to thank the 75 local volunteers who have given their time to collect or help at our events and also express our thanks to the public in Poole who have donated so generously.

“We are keen to welcome new members to our group and look forward to continuing to be an active part of the Poole community.”

The group is starting to prepare for the Great Daffodil Appeal collections in March and is appealing for anyone who could donate an hour of their time to collect.

Times can be booked online at mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil.

To join the group or for more information, email poolemarie curie.fundraising@yahoo.co.uk or call the regional office on 01884 703538.