Star joins forces to help cancer sufferers

JAMES Thornton may be a TV heart throb, but he is also committed to helping people with breast cancer. Catherine Scott reports.

He may seem an unlikely ambassador for a breast cancer charity, but TV heart throb James Thornton is taking his latest role very seriously.

The Yorkshire Haven has enlisted the help of the BBC Comic Relief Let’s Dance winner and Emmerdale star, to today launch its search for 150 people to raise funds in their local community to help the charity pay for its breast cancer support services. In order to keep The Haven’s services running, it will need to generate £500,000 this year.

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James, who has just been nominated as Sexiest Male in the British Soap Awards, became an ambassador for The Haven after he was introduced to the charity by his mother, the UK’s first breast care nurse specialist, who mentored The Haven’s programme manager, Debra Horsman.

“When she told me about the great work that Debra and the rest of the team at The Haven do for people with breast cancer, offering free holistic therapies and support to help them cope with the disease, I wanted to get involved in any way I could to help raise awareness and funds for the charity

“Every penny raised for The Haven really does count, and fund-raising for such a great cause can be fun and incredibly rewarding.”

James says: “The Haven is involved with some great events to help people raise funds, so we are urging people to participate – for example, people can join me and my Emmerdale family by walking, running or wheeling the Leeds Run for All 10k.”

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By recruiting 150 Team Haven members, the charity hopes to undertake more fund-raising in the community, with a view to raising £90,000 to support another 90 people with breast cancer.

Each Team Haven fund-raiser will receive a fund-raising tool kit, telephone support and advice from The Haven.

Fund-raisers can generate money through their own activities or by taking part in events, such as the Leeds Run for All 10k.

The Haven is a national charity with a centre in Leeds which provides a free programme of support and holistic therapies to people with breast cancer.

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Because it receives no government funding for running costs, The Haven is dependent on charitable donations, legacies and fund-raising events to meet its costs.

Clair Challenor-Chadwick, The Haven’s Yorkshire fund-raising manager says: “We are delighted that James is launching our search for 150 community fund-raisers.

“We provide a lot of guidance and support to all our fund-raisers, and have some fantastic events that people can participate in.

“We hope that our Team Haven fund-raisers will help towards meeting our target of half-a-million pounds.”

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Since it opened its doors in 2008, The Yorkshire Haven has supported more than 900 women and one man from across Yorkshire and the north of England.

Specialist nurses and experts in nutrition, exercise and emotional support provide tailor-made programmes of care for each visitor.

James added: “To me, what sets The Haven apart from other charities is the individual care and support they offer to people with breast cancer – completely free of charge.

“The Haven does not turn away anyone who is looking for support and, obviously, this type of service requires a lot of funding to run.

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“Because The Haven relies on individual and corporate donations, it’s really important for people to get involved in any way they can to help raise funds for such a great cause.”

For more information on fund-raising for The Haven, contact Clair Challenor-Chadwick [email protected] or visit www.thehaven.org.uk. Alternatively, call The Yorkshire Haven on 0113 284 7800.

BREAST CANCER: THE FACTS

* 1 in 8 women develops breast cancer

* More than 47,700 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year

* 250 women will die of breast cancer this week

* Men can get breast cancer too – 300 cases are diagnosed each year

* Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK

* Breast cancer rates have increased by 50 per cent over the last 25 years

* 5,625 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Yorkshire every year

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