January 17, 2014 11.34 am This story is over 121 months old

Lincoln potato company donates £15k to cancer charity

Big fundraisers: Branston has finished a year of exceptional fundraising by presenting a charity with £15,000.

The Lincoln’s branch of one of the UK’s leading potato suppliers, Branston, has concluded a year of fundraising by presenting Marie Curie Cancer Care with £15,000.

Each year, the company supports a different local charity in a bid to make a difference in the wider community.

Employees presented the grand total to Charlotte Jackson from Marie Curie Cancer Care on January 16 at the Branston Lincoln site.

Staff at the Lincoln site chose the Lincolnshire branch of Marie Curie Cancer Care as their good cause at the start of 2013 and hosted a range of events throughout the year to raise support.

Among fundraising events, Branston hosted a “Blooming Great Tea Party”, which they say was the biggest in Lincolnshire and largest charity event the company have organised to date.

Nine employees fought off zombies as they completed the Lincoln Zombie Run, and other fundraisers took part in moonlight walks, cycle challenges and the Great North Run.

Graeme Beattie, Managing Director at Branston said: “We all really enjoyed getting behind the fundraising initiatives.

“Marie Curie Cancer Care was chosen by our employees as a really worthwhile local charity.

“Their care is invaluable for helping people deal with the devastating effects of cancer and we and hope that the money we have raised will help support the work that they do in our local communities and beyond.”

This year, employees at Branston’s Lincoln site have voted for two charities to share the 2014 fundraising pot – St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice and Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.

They have a goal of £8,000 to split between the two charities and are planning various fundraisers from 10k road runs to quiz nights and bake sales.