Good Hope is celebrating after receiving a generous donation to help raise awareness of one of the most common cancers in the region.

Hospital fundraiser Vera Holley presented Good Hope Bowel Cancer Team with a model torso, digital scales and a measure, worth £400, for the team to take on health promotion events, and help people get serious about the condition.

Karen Mallows, lead specialist screening practitioner, said: “We are so thankful for this donation which will really help us encourage people to think about their health, and how bowel cancer can be spotted before it is too late. The items will be used to calculate BMI, educate and lead to discussions about bowel cancer screening, and hopefully save lives. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the region, so it’s important people take the signs and symptoms seriously.”

Bowel Cancer kills over 16,000 people per year in the UK, with 80 per cent of deaths occurring in the over 60s. Every 2 years, free home testing kits are sent to individuals registered  with a GP aged between 60-74, so the warning signs can be detected earlier. Any individuals who record abnormal results are booked to see a specialist nurse in a clinic.  For more information on the condition and to receive a free testing kit, call the team at Good Hope on 0800 707 60 60.

If you are interested in fundraising for your local Hospital, contact the Heart of England Charity on 0121 424 3330, or email fundraising@heartofengland.nhs.uk. Follow the Charity on Facebook here www.facebook.com/heartofenglandcharity