Lincoln Macmillan group on a mission to save lives with charity calendar

An army of inspirational Macmillan fundraisers from Lincoln have launched a special charity calendar to help save lives across the county.

The Merry Macs of Lincoln group were out in force at the city’s Marks & Spencer shop on the day of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning (Macmillan’s largest fundraising event for people facing cancer),

They were raising money and awareness with a calendar staring a number of local cancer fighters.

Not only do the models look fantastic, but they are also raising awareness of the symptoms and signs of 12 different cancer types.

Click to purchase a copy of the calendar.

Fiona Goldsby, 41 from Lincoln (the face of January) told The Lincolnite: “When I was diagnosed back in 2008 I had the idea of doing a calendar. I was going through treatment for a brain tumour, which I live with every day now.

“I wanted to do something positive so I set up the Merry Macs of Lincoln fundraising group. Currently today we have raised over £180,000 for Macmillan, and that’s in four years.

“I wanted to do a calendar, but I also wanted to make sure it was useful. These days, not many people use calendars because they use digital gadgets. This one has a dual purpose. Yes you can put your important dates on it, but it also has the signs and symptoms of 12 different cancers on it.

“Our hope is that it will save lives.

“We know someone who actually used the calendar when it was in its preliminary stages and has sadly been diagnosed. Because he has been diagnosed early, his outlook it quite bright. It’s already helping people so that’s fantastic.”

The group were even joined by Britain’s Manliest Man, Lincoln Flight Lieutenant Alun Pepper, named and undisputed after a national competition in 2014. He added: “I’m a testicular cancer survivor and I will now talk bo***cks to anyone who will listen.

“When I was asked if I would like to be in the calendar I said ‘I would love to’. Good awareness means I am still hear to pass on the message myself.”

The group launched the calendar in Lincoln on Friday, September 29 and had almost sold all of their 500 copies at £5 by lunchtime.

Find out more about the group on their website here.