A HUGE festive boost has been given to a cancer charity by a Radcliffe businessman - after he offered a HQ for a fundraising push.

And it is hoped the selfless gesture by Peter McDonald will benefit cancer sufferers and their families across Bolton and Bury.

Mr McDonald, who runs Conservatory Insulations, has been a longtime supporter of Bury Cancer Centre, which provides essential support for those with the condition and their families in the Bury and Bolton areas.

But like many good causes, their efforts have been hampered by the pandemic, with several major fundraisers, from their annual charity ball to a sportsman's dinner, having to be cancelled for social distancing reasons.

From this weekend though, the organisation is opening a charity salesroom at the former Castlecroft Caravan and Camping Centre, near Radcliffe, to help redress the balance.

The premises form part of Mr McDonald's group interests and he is donating the site for the cancer centre's usage.

He said: "“I have known Jan Katana and her magnificent team at Bury Cancer Support Centre for many years. The work they do for cancer patients is without parallel and I recognise how dependent they are on public donations and support. I hope people will visit it.”

The Bolton Road cancer centre provides a host of counselling and therapy services - but their annual running costs come in at around £200,000.

Support plans are drafted for sufferers, by a team of qualified professionals, as well as bereavement assistance in the event of lost loved ones.

A cancer centre spokesman added: "Planning for our major fundraising programme was completed in the early part of the year but it soon became clear that many of these lifeblood’s of our service would become casualties. To date, our annual golf day at Bury Golf Club, the annual lantern walk, quiz nights, coffee mornings and one-off events were cancelled.

"New initiatives including the 24-hour Relay for Life were postponed and with these almost £80,000 of anticipated income was lost.

"A programme of major fund raisers at the Hotel Football, namely the annual charity ball, a celebrity sportsman’s dinner and a 24-hour penalty competition have sadly also had to be postponed. Once again at huge loss of income."

The fundraising centre will be open from tomorrow, Saturday, with the opening times of 10am to 4pm Thursdays to Sundays following that until Christmas

Festive treats will be on the display alongside clothing, toys, bric-a-brac, crafts and books, with Christmas draw tickets also on offer.

Charity officials have paid tribute to Whitefield-based Carrick Signs, for installing signage for the new venture, and volunteers for undertaking a deep clean of the Eton Hill Road site. The centre has also praised Cocklestone, another supporter, for external revamps at the centre, and their volunteer gardeners.

The centre spokesman added: "We hope people will visit the charity shop in the run up to Christmas to help keep this vital service to our community alive."