Lakeland has marked the anniversary of its 30-year relationship with CancerCare with a £30,000 donation.
The donation comes from funds raised through Lakeland’s colleague fund, with this contribution bringing Lakeland’s total financial support to the charity over the last three decades to more than half a million pounds.
The relationship between the iconic kitchen and homeware company and CancerCare began in 1991 when Lakeland staff member Eileen Barnes, and her husband Arthur, were referred for aromatherapy massage following Arthur’s cancer diagnosis.
Looking for a way to say “thank you” to the charity, Eileen was granted permission to donate the money generated by the sales of returned goods, to CancerCare.
CancerCare founder, Professor Malcolm McIllmurray was heavily involved with the campaign, alongside the Lakeland team and Judy Rayner, the wife of Lakeland owner and Chairman Sam Rayner – raising the money to buy the charity’s centre on Blackhall Road in Kendal. This made it easier for people in South Lakeland to access support without needing to travel to CancerCare’s main Slynedales Centre in Lancaster.
The mutual support continued when Lakeland Customer Director Michelle Kershaw was diagnosed with cancer. Michelle accessed CancerCare therapy services and when she sadly passed away in 2004, the company established a research fund in her name.
This fund helped set up a new service in the Barrow area, which proved so successful the charity bought, and purpose-renovated, a new centre on Duke Street in the heart of the town in 2020.
Ober the last 30 years the charity has helped around 22,000 people and delivered more than 350,000 sessions of therapy.
Director of Fundraising and Marketing Emma Athersmith said: “The support we get from Lakeland has been instrumental in helping us support many thousands of people left devastated by a cancer diagnosis or bereavement across South Lakeland and beyond.
"As an independent local charity we rely on donations for more than 90% of the money we need to provide our services, and being able to rely on generous and regular donations from such a high-profile organisation is absolutely invaluable for us. It shows their commitment to their local community and their staff, and we can’t thank them enough. I hope it continues for many more years to come.”