A GROUP that has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Christie Hospital over the past decade will be stepping out this summer.

Christie's Altrincham and Sale Fundraising Group is gearing up for its annual Morecambe Bay Walk on June 10.

The group, which was set up in 1997, raises funds for the Christie Hospital Future Without Cancer campaign - and has fun while doing so.

Almost all the members have either had cancer or have a relative who had cancer - and so appreciate at first hand the magnificent work carried out at the pioneering cancer treatment hospital.

The group holds street and event collections, quiz nights, cricket matches, trips to race meetings, and the annual bay walk.

The amount it has collected currently stands at an incredible £300,000 - which has been used to provide equipment to diagnose, treat and cure cancer.

Committee member Barry Jones, who was successfully treated for bowel cancer, said; "It is our way of helping the fantastic work they do at Christie's."

Its contributions include £125,000 to the 2001 Centenary Appeal; £10,000 towards lymphoma and sarcoma research in 2002; £20,000 towards a pharmacy in 2003; £21,000 for equipment in 2003; £50,000 for two microscopes in 2004; £25,000 towards a new chemotherapy day unit in 2005; and £25,000 for a microscope in 2006.

The group meets at the Belmore Hotel, Brooklands Road, Sale on the first Thursday of every month.

New members and helpers are always welcome. For further details call 0161 928 8969, 0161 941 1093 or 0789 6880612.