Cancer Warriors on an upward ramp thanks to charity donation

A STALYBRIDGE-BASED charity is celebrating after a donation allowed them to make accessing their base easier – and warmer.

Cancer Warriors, based on Melbourne Street, previously had to tell service users with mobility issues to head around the back of the building so they could get in.

Now, thanks to £400 handed over by the Romiley and Marple Lions Club, they are able to help them gain access much easier after funds helped buy a ramp.

They have also gone towards a new heater that could help tackle rising fuel bills.

Larissa Iwanyckyj, of Cancer Warriors, said: “We went to a meeting and did a bit of a Dragon’s Den thing.

“We had to stand in front of people and say who we are, what we are and what it was we needed.

“They kindly said, ‘Yes, we’re prepared to give you the money.’

“The ramp will make a massive difference as we have service users who have mobility issues or are in wheelchairs.

“What happened before was we’d say to them ‘You have to go back out, go round, we’ll open the back door.’

“Whereas now we’ve got the ramp we can just put up at the front.

“And with the heater, like everyone else we had massive heating bills. As they are electric, the bills were astronomical.

“We said we’ll try and gas one and see if it’s a bit cheaper to run – if it is, the extra money can be put back into the charity.”

Romiley and Marple Lions Club does have a local link as member Terry Harding lives in Dukinfield.

Part of the biggest service organisation in the world, with more than 1.5 million members across the globe, they have helped charities and good causes.

And Bill Spencer, from the branch, said: “We’ve done Santas at garden centres, Santa dashes, table top sales, all kinds of things to raise money.

“And two wonderful ladies from Cancer Warriors came along to one of our meetings. They said they were cold, they needed a new heater.

“So we bought them this heater. They also said they needed a ramp, which is now in place. That’s what the £400 is being spent on.”