£24,000 raised at first Christmas market

The first Helen Rollason Cancer Charity Christmas Market, held at Trinity Park in Ipswich, raised more than £24,000 to help those living with cancer. 

More than 90 small businesses from across Suffolk took a stall at the market, with Christmas gifts, decorations, crafts and foods to get visitors feeling festive. 

And funds raised will be put towards giving therapy treatments to more than 900 people living with cancer. 

Karen Mitchell, community fundraiser for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity, said: "We've been absolutely blown away by the amount of visitors that we've had at our Christmas market - incredible for our first event.  

"We need to raise almost £900,000 a year to provide our services so this event has helped us achieve that considerably.  

"It's been wonderful to see so many people coming out to show their support.  

"Thank you to all our fantastic volunteers involved in planning, setting up, clearing away, our stallholders and everyone who attended the event, spent money or donated to the charity." 

Therapy treatments offered at the Helen Rollason support centres include counselling, reflexology, aromatherapy, manual lymphatic drainage and support groups. 

The charity supports men and women with all types of cancer at all stages.