The Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal is continuing to blossom – thanks to the support of the Pakistan Society of West Yorkshire.

Rashid Awan, president of the society, visited the T&A offices in Hall Ings yesterday to present a £500 cheque to the £1million appeal – and vowed to continue the fundraising when the society holds its glittering annual dinner in August.

On Wednesday, we announced our biggest fundraising drive in more than a decade, which could further cement the city’s world-class reputation in developing new cancer treatments and make its ground-breaking work to fight the disease ten times faster than before.

We want to buy Bradford University’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) a new, high-tech mass spectrometer, which could hold the key to its scientists making a vital discovery in the war on cancer.

This will allow scientists to study tens of thousands of proteins, which play a key role in cancer and could hold the breakthrough to developing new, targeted treatments without the horrendous side effects of chemotherapy.

Mr Awan said the society, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, was delighted to back the campaign and urged communities across Bradford to pledge their support.

“This disease is very serious and I think that if we can find better ways to treat cancer this is a little price to pay towards that,” he said.

“It’s so important to humanity and £1 million for that potential, it is not a great deal of money.

“We should be able to do this and, if we get a breakthrough that minimises the damage caused by cancer treatments, we will have achieved that for such a small amount of money.

“This is a cause that’s very close to the heart of the community in general. We will be looking to create awareness among the Asian community.

“I would like to urge them to come forward and donate generously so we can get a breakthrough in research into cancer treatment by buying this machine.”

Mr Awan said the society would send details of the T&A Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal – which is being run with the University, Yorkshire Cancer Research and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust – to its membership of 600 families across West Yorkshire.

It will also collect cash during its annual dinner, held to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day, at Bradford’s Hilton Hotel on August 14.

“We will be sending our members details so they can raise awareness and will know about the appeal before they attend the event,” he said.

“I’m sure the people of Bradford, who have been very generous in the past, will show their generosity this time.

“In the city of Bradford there are a lot of successful business people and I hope they will be part of this campaign, come forward and donate generously.

“I would like to congratulate the T&A who have been taking the lead in this area of fundraising and have been very successful in such campaigns in the past.”

 

Read more about the £1 million Crocus Cancer Appeal