Gym members raise £2,000 for Chemo Mums

1:17pm Monday 7th January 2008

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MEMBERS of a gym have raised more than £2,000 by taking part in a marathon exercise session.

Virgin Active gym at The Valley in Bolton held the fundraising fitness day on Saturday to raise money for Chemo Mums, a Bolton charity helping support mothers who are being treated for cancer.

The gym held 10 hours of exercise classes, including body pump, body attack, body jam, pilates, yoga, Tai Chi and gliding.

Money was raised by collecting sponsorship for the classes, an auction of Spice Girls tickets and signed Bolton Wanderers' shirt and a tombola.

Lesley Bennison, the charity's founder was delighted with the money raised. She said: "I'm so pleased. Money like this makes a real difference."

The day was organised by Lisa Latona, group exercise co-ordinator, at the gym.

She said: "I'm ecstatic about how much we managed to raise for such a worthwhile charity.

"It was a great day, everyone at the gym played a part - it was a real team effort."

Chemo Mums was launced at the beginning of 2007. Lesley, aged 46, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and underwent surgery and gruelling courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

She said the hardest part of fighting the disease was caring for her family while suffering the effects of chemotherapy so set up the support network for mums who do not have help available to them at home while they are undergoing treatment.