Hat-trick of awards for Lytham charity shop

The Cancer Research UK store in Market Square has earned a special commendation in the charity’s Flame of Hope awards.

The Flame of Hope Awards acknowledge remarkable efforts in fundraising and volunteering made by people from all walks of life.

The awards ceremony in London, hosted by Cancer Research UK’s chairman, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, had to be cancelled this year to protect the country’s health during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The pandemic has caused a devastating loss of funding for cancer research. Following the cancellation of fundraising events such as Race for Life, Cancer Research UK is expecting a staggering £160m drop in income in the year ahead.

As a result, the charity has made the difficult decision to cut £44m in research funding.

The two members of staff and volunteers at the Lytham shop were nominated for the award by the manager there, Becca Andrew.

Becca has spent most of the past 12 months helping out at other Cancer Research UK shops in Lancashire and Cumbria training new managers.

But the Lytham shop has gone from strength to strength and Becca, who has worked for Cancer Research UK for five years, said: “I am so proud of everyone who volunteers and works in the Lytham shop.

“During this very tough year in particular, they have shown such a gung-ho spirit and get on with it attitude. I am able to help out in other shops across the region safe in the knowledge that they are doing a brilliant job back in Lytham.

“Prior to lockdown they were busy bringing in new volunteers. This has been particularly tough since our shops re-opened and we have sadly dropped from having 18 volunteers on our books in Lytham to just seven. So, we need to address this moving forwards, but I know everyone in the shop will get behind the recruitment drive.

“We would normally go out for a meal and celebrate the Flame of Hope achievement, but of course we can’t do that this year because of Covid restrictions.

“But the staff and volunteers all deserve a huge well done for their efforts and attitude.”

It is thanks to our loyal readers that we can continue to provide the trusted news, analysis and insight that matters to you. For unlimited access to our unrivalled local reporting, you can take out a subscription here and help support the work of our dedicated team of reporters.

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe